Shingles jab could be included in adult vaccine schedule following review

Shingles is an infection that produces a painful rash on the body and is caused by the chickenpox virus (varicella zoster).

A plan to offer a vaccine against shingles as part of the adult immunisation schedule could be on the way.

Hiqa has begun a health technology assessment of the painful disease following a recommendation from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac).

The assessment will advise the minister for health on whether to include a vaccine for shingles, also known as herpes zoster, in the programme for adult vaccination.

Shingles is an infection that produces a painful rash on the body and is caused by the chickenpox virus (varicella zoster).

It is common to get the shingles rash on the chest or abdomen but it can appear anywhere on the body including the face, eyes, and genitals.

The shingles rash appears as red blotches on the skin, on one side of the body only.

Anyone who has had chickenpox may develop shingles; this results from reactivation of the virus, and typically occurs in later life.

Approximately one-third of people who have had chickenpox will develop shingles at some point during their lifetime.

Both the incidence and severity of shingles increase with age, with most people getting it after the age of 50. 

However, people who are immunocompromised are also at increased risk of infection and serious complications.

The most common complication arising from shingles is post-herpetic neuralgia which is a chronic pain that occurs in up to three in 10 people. 

It is consistently reported to be higher in older patients.

The chronic pain lasts long after the initial rash and blisters have healed and can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life, affecting general activity, mood, sleep, and walking ability.

There are two shingles vaccines currently available in Ireland, one is a live vaccine called Zostavax (given as one dose) and the other is a recombinant vaccine called Shingrix (given as a two dose).

The vaccine is currently recommended for certain risk groups but they must pay privately.

Hiqa's review will look at the vaccine's effectiveness, safety, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact.

These factors will be examined along with the ethical, social, and organisational impacts of including the shingles vaccine in the adult immunisation schedule.