DR SCURR: The unfair reason you're not being given a shingles vaccination in your 60s By Dr Martin Scurr Published: 17:14 BST, 5 August 2024 | Updated: 17:14 BST, 5 August 2024 e-mail View comments I'm 67 and have been told I am not eligible for the shingles vaccination. It seems so unfair that I'll have to wait until I'm 70, whereas those who 'turn 65' are eligible now. The whole campaign seems very confusing.
Can you explain? Eleri Kirk, Falmouth, Cornwall. Dr Scurr replies: You are quite right to be indignant. Shingles — or herpes zoster — affects one in four of us over the age of 50 at some stage, typically causing a painful blistering rash on one side, which can leave scars.
It's most common in the over-70s (for whom, in rare cases, it can be fatal), but I've also seen it in small children and teenagers. You do not develop shingles from contact with people. Instead it occurs when the virus which you contracted as chickenpox in childhood (varicella-zoster) becomes reactivated (the virus stays in your body but can be reactivated if your immune system is weakened).
The shingles vaccine should be made available to everyone over 50 says Dr Martin Scurr Unfortunately the reason you currently don't qualify for this important vaccine (called Shingrix and given as two injections) is rationing. The fact that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation came up with this bizarre and illogical scheme to limit distribution — presumably for reasons of cost — is somethin.