No subsidy for shingles vaccine as it is not cost-effective: MOH
SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Health (MOH) will not subsidise the cost of the shingles vaccine because of its high price.
A check by The Straits Times found that the price of the two doses of the Shingrix vaccine, which are administered two to six months apart, ranges from $720 to $950, inclusive of goods and services tax and any consultation fees.
“At the price proposed by the manufacturer, the vaccine is not considered cost-effective for the prevention of shingles at the population level,” MOH said on Nov 12 in response to a parliamentary question.
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) had asked in Parliament in November whether MOH planned to include the vaccine in the National Adult Immunisation Schedule, “such that it will be eligible for subsidies, especially for vulnerable seniors”.
Produced by British pharmaceutical company GSK, Shingrix was approved for use here in 2021. It provides over 90 per cent protection against shingles, although its effectiveness may be lower for older people and those with weakened immune systems.
Protection lasts at least seven years, and possibly longer, as the vaccine is relatively new, having been first approved for use in the US in October 2017.
Only people who had chicken pox are at risk of getting shingles, as it is caused by the same varicella-zoster virus, which remains dormant but may flare up later in life.
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Shingles causes a painful and itchy rash, usually on one side of the body or face. For the majority of patients, the blisters scab in a week, and clear up totally within four weeks.
However, up to one in five people might suffer from complications, the most common being long-term nerve pain, known as postherpetic neuralgia.
Other complications include pneumonia, encephalitis or inflammation of the brain, and hearing loss. The risk of complications is higher in older people.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says that one in three adults will get shingles in their lifetime.
In Singapore, an estimated 30,000 people suffer from the illness each year. People can get shingles more than once.
The treatment focuses on pain relief. Antivirals, if taken within the first 72 hours, are most effective.
They may help reduce some symptoms if taken within the first five days, but they do not entirely prevent nerve pain. The best protection against shingles is to get vaccinated.
Although MOH will not subsidise the cost of the shingles vaccine, there are other vaccines for seniors that it does subsidise. These include the annual influenza vaccine, and two doses of the pneumococcal vaccine to protect against conditions like pneumonia, meningitis and infection of the blood.
Correction note: The headline of this article has been edited for clarity.
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