This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
PHE reiterates shingles vaccine advice
Public Health England (PHE) has issued advice reiterating the importance for elderly people to receive their vaccinations against shingles, in order to protect them against developing the illness.
The statement was aimed primarily at those aged 79, calling on them to ensure they have the vaccination before their 80th birthday. From 2015, people aged 78 years on 1 September have been offered the vaccine as part of a catch-up programme.
The vaccine reduces the risk and severity of shingles in those who are mostly likely to be vulnerable to the illness. However, any individual who exceeds the age of 80 is no longer eligible for the vaccine as its effectiveness reduces as age increases.
The statement called for people to check if their parents and grandparents are eligible for the vaccine and to ensure they use the opportunity to help protect against future illness.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, leading the shingles vaccine programme at PHE, said: “The shingles vaccine is the best way to protect against this debilitating illness and significantly reduces the incidence of post herpetic neuralgia – persistent nerve pain that can occur at the site of a previous attack of shingles.
“The shingles vaccine is available from your GP and anyone who missed out on the vaccine in the first two years of the programme continues to remain eligible until their 80th birthday. This includes people aged 71, 72 or 79 on 1
September 2015. If this is relevant to your parents or grandparents and they have not had the shingles vaccine, the best thing to do is to encourage them to check with their GP practice to find out if they’re eligible now.
“We strongly recommend getting vaccinated to prevent this painful condition. You only need to be vaccinated once and it’s important that you get it while you’re the right age.
“We are very pleased to say, that since the introduction of the shingles vaccine, there has been a considerable reduction in the number of cases attending GP practices, among those groups eligible for vaccination."
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