N.B. only Atlantic province without any publicly funded shingles vaccine

New Brunswick will soon be the only Atlantic province without a public shingles vaccine program.

New Brunswick stands as the only Atlantic province without a publicly funded vaccine program for older residents.

This Monday, Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial government will begin to offer free shingles vaccines to residents aged 50 and over, dropping the age from 65 and over.

In May, Nova Scotia’s provincial government introduced a free shingles vaccine policy for residents aged 65 and older.

Last September, Prince Edward Island’s provincial government lowered the age eligibility for the free shingles vaccine from 60 to 50.

New Brunswick’s Department of Health didn’t have a response to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Saint John pharmacist Jennifer Wellings-Gallant says demand for the shingles vaccine is strong across New Brunswick, with several residents without insurance choosing to pay out-of-pocket.

“But some people can’t,” says Wellings-Gallant. “It’s $200 a shot, and you need to get two shots.”

Wellings-Gallant says the shingles vaccine should be publicly funded for older populations due to the risk of an infection causing serious complications.

“It can actually cause blindness if you get shingles in the eye,” she says.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends vaccinations against shingles for individuals aged 50 and older who have a healthy immune system.

Laura Tamblyn Watts, president and CEO of the national senior’s advocacy group CanAge says a publicly funded vaccine program saves money and time through prevention.

“If you get shingles your chance of recurrence is very high,” she says. “That means you’re going to your pharmacist, your primary care physician if you have one. You may be in the hospital to get the care.”

“So many things in our healthcare system take a long time to do. Not this. All this government would have to do is agree to fund shingles like every other Atlantic province and we would see immediate savings in our healthcare systems.”

Recent studies have made a connection between getting the shingles vaccine and reducing the risk of heart disease, as well as dementia.

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