Budget expected to include funds for shingles vaccine, but no change for Drugs Payment Scheme

It is understood the health minister wants to focus extra spending on the continuation of the RSV vaccine for newborn babies and an introduction of a shingles vaccination programme. File picture: Larry Cummins

The rollout of a shingles vaccine is now expected to be included in the upcoming budget.

It is understood that health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is pushing to prioritise vaccinations and is now confident that funding can be secured to introduce a shingles vaccine and continue with a highly successful RSV programme for babies as part of next month's budget.

However, people who have significant monthly medication bills are unlikely to see a reduction in costs, as bringing down the threshold of the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) is seen as a costly measure that would not have a massive impact.

Under the scheme, families or individuals pay a maximum of €80 in a calendar month for approved prescribed drugs and medicines with the balance covered by the State.

With limited funds available for new measures across all government departments, it is understood Ms Carroll MacNeill wants to focus extra spending on the continuation of the RSV vaccine for newborn babies and an introduction of a shingles vaccination programme.

The number of babies with RSV “collapsed” after a programme of immunisation began, with a 75% reduction of hospitalisations.

The scale of the rollout of a shingles programme will depend on the amount of funding Ms Carroll MacNeill's department can secure in budget negotiations. However, it is expected that that vaccine will be introduced on a phased basis, with at risk-groups and the oldest cohorts priorities in the first phase.

A growing body of evidence suggests the shingles vaccination may lower the risk of dementia as well as stroke and heart attack, however, up until now the cost of the injection has been considered too costly to be taken on as part of a HSE immunisation programme.

It is understood that Ms Carroll MacNeill will also be seeking money to fully staff seven surgical hubs across the country and to begin bring in more services, including chemotherapy, into the community.

Speaking at the Fine Gael think-in in Wexford, Ms Carroll MacNeill acknowledged that the HSE is already €760m over budget so far this year. However, she said she is confident there will still be scope for new programmes in October's budget.

"Some of that will cost money, for example, we have a dental programme where we need to have urgent orthodontic intervention, particularly for children where we haven't done well enough, and then there are other programmes that I think focus more on redeployment," she said.

I would like to see a proportion of chemotherapy treatments that are currently delivered in acute hospitals being delivered in model two hospitals or primary care centres. 

"That is the very best example of redeployment. These people are already delivering these services excellently. I'm asking for a change of location."

Meanwhile, the Government is considering applying different tax rates to home heating oil and petrol and diesel.

Tánaiste and finance minister Simon Harris is conscious that the cost of home heating oil will be considerably more expensive this year as people enter the winter period and is now examining a lower rate of taxation on kerosene.

A source suggested that "everything is now on the table," however, it has been accepted that regardless of what the Government does, the cost of fuel will rise given the global uncertainty.

• Elaine Loughlin, political editor