Shingles (herpes zoster) is often thought of as an older person’s disease.
But in the past two decades, we’ve seen a rise in reported cases of this viral disease – which causes a painful, blistering rash and nerve pain – among younger adults aged 25–49.
To what extent this represents a real rise in cases, or just increased reporting, is not clear. Some people with shingles may not even see a doctor.
Shingles is a reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox (varicella zoster). After a chickenpox infection, the virus lies dormant in nerve tissue and can reactivate after many years. This can happen more than once.
Older people are more at risk, both of the virus reactivating and of developing severe illness and needing to be hospitalised.
This is why those aged 65 and over are eligible for a free vaccine, as are other groups most at risk: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and over, and immunocompromised people aged 18 and over.
For those who want the vaccine but aren’t eligible under the free program, the price tag for the two doses is around A$560. It’s recommended, but not free, for anyone aged 50 and over.
But with reported cases up in younger adults, should the free vaccine be expanded?
We asked five experts. Four said no, and one said yes.
Allen Cheng receives funding from the Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. He was a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation which provided advice on Shingrix to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in 2023.
Sarah Annesley receives funding from the Judith Jane Mason & Harold Stannett Williams Memorial Foundation, ME Research UK, National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council.
Meru Sheel receives funding from Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is a member of the World Health Organization’s Immunization and Vaccines related Implementation Research Advisory Committee (IVIR-AC).
Ibrahim Javed receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Jing Jing Li receives funding from the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, providing independent evaluations of company submissions to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the National Immunisation Program (NIP). This work can also include conducting evaluations for the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
Ruth McHugh-Dillon, Deputy Health Editor, The Conversation
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
