N.L. to start covering shingles vaccines for some seniors

Maddie Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 12, 2025 2:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 13 minutes ago

Seniors betwixt 65 and 70 years aged — and those implicit 70 who are immunocompromised — volition person accrued entree to a shingles vaccine starting June 1.

The announcement was made Wednesday by acting Health Minister John Haggie, who was joined by Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.

"This is simply a significant, ample radical of radical who volition get prevention — and effectual prevention — against a miserable information that sometimes ends up with you being hospitalized," said Haggie. 

Shingles comes from the varicella-zoster microorganism (VZV), which besides causes chickenpox and tin origin rashes and lifelong nervus pain.

People cannot get shingles unless they person antecedently had chickenpox. 

Those who privation to get the vaccine tin entree it the aforesaid mode they would get a flu shot: done a household doctor, a pharmacist, oregon astatine a nationalist wellness facility. 

The vaccines volition outgo the state astir $1 cardinal annually, Haggie said.

When asked wherefore the vaccine is constricted to 2 definite groups, Haggie said the Department of Health is looking astatine the outgo benefit.

"We cognize that the hazard of hospitalization from shingles increases aft property 65," helium said.

"This is wherever we commencement and we spot however things go, and we're going to beryllium consistently evaluating that programme conscionable to marque definite however we determination guardant with it."

Opposition wellness professional Barry Petten said the announcement was much astir authorities than people. 

Haggie made the announcement conscionable hours earlier the House of Assembly sat connected Wednesday.

"Respectfully, it could person been done astir apt Monday," Petten said.

He besides said that helium is "at a loss" arsenic to wherefore the eligibility criteria is tighter for those implicit 70 years old.

"I don't recognize the rationality," said Petten. "I deliberation this is simply a premier illustration of different lawsuit wherever each seniors [are] not going to beryllium looked after, due to the fact that each elder implicit 70 is not immunocompromised, but each elder implicit 70 struggles."

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