https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/subsidies-allowed-for-shingles-vaccine-from-september
2025-02-10
Judith Tan
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE – Shingles vaccine Shingrix will soon be made more affordable for eligible Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs).
From September 2025, they can enjoy means-tested subsidies of up to 75 per cent at Chas general practitioner clinics, polyclinics and Ministry of Health (MOH)-funded long-term care institutions.
After subsidies, they can expect to pay around $75 to $300 per course of Shingrix, while PRs pay $450 per course.
And from 2026, they can also use MediSave to pay for the remaining cost of the vaccine after subsidies have been applied.
Those eligible refers to Singaporeans and PRs aged 60 and older; or aged 18 and above with a compromised immune system.
Announcing this at the launch of the Centre for Infectious Disease Emergency Response on Feb 10, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that while Shingrix is a clinically effective vaccine against shingles, it is not cheap.
Shingrix is a clinically effective recombinant herpes-zoster vaccine and the only vaccine currently registered with the Health Sciences Authority for the prevention of shingles.
Produced by British pharmaceutical company GSK, it was approved for use here in 2021.
The vaccine provides more than 90 per cent protection against shingles, although its effectiveness may be lower for older people and those with a weakened immune system.
Protection lasts at least 11 years, and possibly longer, as the vaccine is relatively new, having been approved for use in the US in October 2017.
Only people who have had chickenpox 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.
In Singapore, an estimated 30,000 people suffer from the illness each year, and people can get shingles more than once.
The full course of Shingrix, comprising two doses, currently costs around $900.
“Many seniors have therefore understandably asked if the Government can subsidise shingles vaccination, or (that they) at least be allowed to use their MediSave to pay for the vaccination,” Mr Ong said.
He said there was a public petition addressed to him to subsidise shingles vaccination.
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Not begrudging the pharmaceutical industry, Mr Ong explained that part of the reason for the high cost of the shingles vaccine is that the industry practises differential pricing across geographies.
“As Singapore is a small market deemed to be high-income, we often end up paying more for our drugs, including vaccines,” he said.
“That puts MOH in a dilemma. We want to subsidise the shingles vaccine to help Singaporeans avoid the pain of getting shingles. However, if we do, we will very likely entrench the high price of our supply,” Mr Ong said.
GSK, which has a long history of relationship with Singapore, has agreed to adjust the price of the shingles vaccine, the minister noted.
Meanwhile, MOH is further subsidising the vaccination and bringing it under Singapore’s population health measures, recommending shingles vaccination under the National Adult Immunisation Schedule, alongside others such as influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations.
In a statement to the media, GSK Singapore general manager Raakhi Sippy said the decision by MOH to extend subsidies and MediSave usage for the shingles vaccine for eligible Singaporeans and PRs “ensures that people in Singapore have access to the vaccine, where and when they need it, and plays a crucial role in safeguarding the health, well-being and prosperity of the rapidly ageing society”.
“Singapore is leading the way in the Asia-Pacific to offer a comprehensive shingles vaccination programme for adults aged 60 years or older as well as immunocompromised adults aged 18 to 59 years. This initiative marks a significant milestone in public health, setting what could be a new standard for shingles preventive care across the region,” she added.
While the subsidies for Shingrix apply to seniors aged 60 and above and younger adults who are immunocompromised, seniors from the Pioneer and Merdeka generations will be eligible for additional subsidies in the outpatient setting.
These changes mean the reduction in the out-of-pocket cost of the vaccination to a member of the public is quite significant.
With subsidies, the cost of two doses of vaccination for a Pioneer Generation Singaporean will fall from about $900 to between $75 and $150, while that for a Merdeka Generation Singaporean will fall to between $112.50 and $225.
Other eligible adult Singapore citizens will pay between $150 and $300, while PRs pay $450.
From 2026, MOH will also allow the remaining out-of-pocket cost to be paid using existing MediSave schemes, “so the cash payment can potentially be zero dollars”, Mr Ong said.
Cost of Shingrix
Current prices:
$900 - $950
After subsidy:
Pioneer Generation cardholders (born on or before Dec 31, 1949): $75 to $150
Merdeka Generation cardholders (born on or between Jan 1, 1950 and Dec 31, 1959): $112.50 to $225
Other eligible adult Singapore citizens, including immuno-compromised: $150 to $300
Permanent residents: $450
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