Courtesy: CHAT Newsroom

By Angela Kazmierczak

Push for government to cover costs of shingles vaccine

Mar 10, 2023 | 4:57 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Shingles can be a painful experience for older people.

There’s been a recent push for the provincial government to cover the costs of the shingles vaccine for those ages 50 and up.

One local pharmacy is onboard, and says that publicly funding the shingles vaccine would help the healthcare system and reduce financial barriers.

Shingles is a viral infection that sleeps in the nerves, and when the immune system is weak, the infection awakens and causes rashes.

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In rare cases, some individuals suffer from severe pain for up to weeks, months or years.

According to the Government of Canada website, one in three Canadians will develop shingles.

However, Hebre Castillo Gurdian, the owner of MacKenzie Drugs, says that an accessible vaccine could prevent a third of the population from ever experiencing it.

In recent years, he says more locals are getting the shingles vaccine. This is due to pharmacies promoting the vaccine, also because people are warning each other about its severity, after having suffered an episode or being hospitalized.

But, he says, the cost of the vaccine could be creating barriers in who’s accessing it.

“If you get the two course series, it’s quite effective at preventing shingles. But also the biggest barrier is the cost. For low-income families, especially in the times we’re living in now, $150 dollars is a lot of money,” said Castillo Gurdian.

Castillo Gurdian says a good insurance plan can help cover most of the costs, but not everyone has access to these plans.