Shingles is the name commonly used for herpes zoster, an infection that shows up as a painful skin rash with blisters, usually on part of one side of the body (left or right), often in a strip. Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox.
One in three Canadians will get shingles in their lifetime, and it can lead to loss of vision or debilitating nerve pain.
Like other preventable diseases, shingles particularly impacts older people —2/3 of all shingles cases occur in adults over age 50.
- 90% of Canadian adults have had chickenpox and are therefore at risk of shingles.
- There are about 130,000 cases in Canada every year, with nearly 1 in 3 people developing shingles in their lifetime
- Up to 10% of cases in those over aged 65 lead to hospitalization
- Shingles causes long lasting pain, insomnia and can impact your central nervous system
- Research shows the newest shingles vaccine research shows the newest shingles vaccine has an efficacy of over 90%.
- The shingles vaccination remains effective for up to 10 years.
The shingles vaccine (Shingrix) released in 2017 is proven to have an efficacy of 90% and lasts up to 10 years.
CARP has been pushing provincial/territorial governments to fully fund the vaccine for seniors and make it easily accessible through doctor’s offices, pharmacies and other convenient locations.
CARP is glad that the shingles vaccines are now available in PEI for those aged 50 and over, in Ontario for seniors 65-70 years old (up to 75 until the end of the year), Yukon for those aged 65-79 and North West Territories aged 65 and above.
Other provinces have been frustratingly slow to respond to the growing calls for the newer vaccine to be made freely available, leaving seniors to pay for the vaccine themselves.
We’ll keep demanding that this best-in-class shingles vaccine be easily available free of charge to older adults across the country. It’s what seniors deserve.
Do you agree that the shingles vaccine should be available to all Canadians over 50 across the country?
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