More people to get new shingles vaccine protection

A new vaccine will soon be available to guard more people against a painful illness that is particularly prevalent among older adults.

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, which mostly affects children. The virus remains dormant within people after they recover from chickenpox but can reactivate in later life as shingles.

Currently only people aged 70-80 are offered vaccination against shingles. But from Friday September 1 that will be extended to anyone turning 65 or 70 years. Anyone aged 70 to 80 who haven’t already been vaccinated as well as people aged over 50 who are immunocompromised are also eligible.

In addition to protection being offered to more people, a new vaccine, known as Shingrix, is being introduced.

Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, Chief Medical Officer of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB said: “Trials showed the new vaccine was highly effective and safe for this new cohort of people it will be offered to.

“Shingles can occur at any age, but the risk and severity of shingles and its complications increase with age and is higher in individuals who have a severely weakened immune system.

“Shingles can’t be caught from other people, including those currently ill with chickenpox.

“Instead it develops in people who have previously been infected with chickenpox earlier in life. Chickenpox can be quite mild, so you may be unaware or have forgotten that you have had it, but studies show that nearly every adult has had the virus.

“People who are newly entitled to protection will be contacted by their GP surgery and I would encourage them to get protected against what can be an extremely unpleasant and painful illness.”

You can find out more about shingles from the NHS website.