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Information updates

Shingrix Vaccine to Prevent Shingles - September 2024 Update

Shingrix®  is a varicella zoster virus recombinant vaccine that can provide protection from herpes zoster (shingles) and post-herpetic neuralgia (long-term nerve pain). 

Further to ASCIA advocating for funded access to Shingrix®  for people with immune deficiencies on the national immunisation program in Australia, funding has been announced in September 2024 (see Appendix A)  
 
ASCIA Consensus Recommendations: Vaccination with Shingrix to Prevent Shingles for Immunosuppressive Conditions and Therapies will be reviewed and once finalised it will be available on the ASCIA website: 

Funding of Shingrix from 1 November 2023 was announced by the hon Mark Butler (Minister for Health and Aged Care) on Sunday 8th October 2023.  The extended vaccine eligibility for 'high/medium risk' immunocompromised individuals iwill be considered at the November 2023 meeting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), so an announcement about this will be made after the transition from Zostavax to Shingrix on 1 November 2023.

ASCIA made a submission in January 2023  to support the PBS listing of Shingrix.

For details refer page 22 - https://www.pbs.gov.au/info/industry/listing/elements/pbac-meetings/agenda/november-2023-pbac-meeting  

From 1 November 2023 funding of Shingrix will be available for:

  1. All Australians over 65 (and over 50 for First Nation Australians), which includes all immunocompromising conditions above those ages.
  1. Immunocompromised adults aged 18 years and over with the following medical conditions;  haemopoietic stem cell transplant, solid organ transplant, haematological malignancy and advanced or untreated HIV.

https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/shingles-vaccine-now-free-for-nearly-5-million-australians

This news item was issued on 17 October 2023 and updated on 18 September 2024 by Jill Smith, CEO of of ASCIA, the peak professional body of clinical immunology/allergy specialista in Australia and New Zealand.