National advocacy group CanAge is calling for the New Brunswick government to fund the shingles vaccine for people aged 50 and older to align with the policy in all other Atlantic provinces.
CanAge, Canada’s national seniors’s advocacy organization, is pushing for New Brunswick to fund the vaccine because it’s strongly recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) for those aged 50 and older.
“The single most effective thing that we can do in our health-care system right now is fund and make publicly available all NACI-recommended vaccines. It’s not just common sense, it’s obvious,” said CanAge president and CEO Laura Tamblyn Watts.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is a committee of healthcare experts that provide recommendations on vaccine use to the federal government.
An email from Health Canada said that provinces and territories are responsible for their own immunization programs and that they consider the National Advisory Committee on Immunization’s guidance.
Shingrix is the vaccine for shingles and it’s the only authorized one for use in the country, according to the Canadian Immunization Guide. It is over 90 per cent effective.
Costs for the two-shot vaccine can vary around $400 for both required shots. A Shopper’s Drug Mart in Fredericton said each shot is $220, including a $20 fee to administer the shot.
The viral infection is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox and causes a painful rash, usually on one side of the body. But other symptoms can come with it as well, including nerve pain, headache and fever. If the rash and sores appear on the face it can cause blindness.
Symptoms of shingles include a blistering, painful rash usually on one side of the body. The infection can also appear on the face causing scarring and blindness. Other symptoms are fever and headache. (Shutterstock)
“Shingles is horrible. If you’ve ever met anyone who’s had it or you’ve experienced, you will know that the pain that you get from it is so bad that really the only thing that they can manage it with is an opioid,” said Watts.
The Canadian Immunization Guide says that one in three Canadians develops shingles in their lifetime and the “incidence and severity … increases sharply after 50 years.”
A Health Canada survey shows that cost is one barrier to vaccinations, and Tamblyn Watts agrees.
“Imagine a couple living on a fixed income with really struggling with the cost of food as we all are, the cost of fuel, the cost of heat … It’s unreasonable and people just usually can’t do it.”
Department of Health spokesperson Tara Chislett said in a statement that the province reviews their immunization program each year to evaluate current vaccines, immunization schedules and the introduction of new vaccines.
“Government recognizes the benefits of the shingles vaccine and encourages individuals over 50 years to get immunized,” the statement said.
The statement also said the province will “monitor and assess next steps for helping to protect our population against this disease.”
The province said New Brunswickers should “check with their private insurance provider to see if shingles vaccine is covered in their drug plans.”
Laura Tamblyn Watts is the president and CEO of CanAge, a national seniors’ advocacy organization. She still holds hope that New Brunswick will add the shingles vaccine to its immunization program. (Jacob Barker/CBC)
Tamblyn Watts said CanAge is constantly in contact with provinces and territories to have all recommended vaccines covered by every province and territory.
“Many people are really surprised when they find out that certain provinces, like New Brunswick, have really bad coverage for most vaccines. And there’s no excuse for it, really, when you think about it,” she said.
“The financial excuse is always the one. ‘Well, it costs money.’ Yeah, this is like pennies on the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Tamblyn Watts.
She said vaccines are the most cost effective way to keep people out of acute care, which doesn’t have any room for extra patients.
Information Morning – FrederictonShingles vaccine
New Brunswick is now the only province in the Atlantic region that does not cover the shingles vaccine for those 50 and over, something a national advocacy group for seniors wants to see changed. Colleen Kitts-Goguen spoke to Laura Tamblyn Watts, president & CEO of CanAge.
A Statistics Canada report from January 2024 said that just over 25 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 50 or older are vaccinated against shingles, which is the lowest in Canada.
People aged 50 and older represent over 40 per cent of New Brunswick’s population.
Newfoundland and Labrador announced in May that this month the vaccine would be funded for those 50 and older after previously only offering it to people aged 65 and older.
In Nova Scotia, the province started a $26-million program in May offering vaccines to those aged 65 and older.
Last September, P.E.I lowered their shingles vaccine age eligibility from 60 to 50 years old.
Tamblyn Watts holds hope that New Brunswick will join the rest of Atlantic Canada and offer the vaccine.
“They know it’s important, they’re looking at it.”