Frustrated Mail on Sunday readers have criticized “insulting” and “crazy” regulations which mean people aged 65 and over 70 can get the shingles vaccine but those aged 66 to 69 cannot. get vaccinated.
This newspaper highlighted last week the situation that has left some three million Britons without the latest protections against the painful virus.
The crucial Shingrix injection, which is given in two doses and has been shown to significantly reduce the chances of developing shingles, is offered to everyone when they turn 65, as well as those in their 70s and 80s. It will soon be offered everywhere. -80 too.
But global shortages have led the Government to prioritize inoculating certain age groups, leaving people aged 66 to 69 in the dark despite being at equal risk.
Readers have written to us in droves, telling us how they have been denied the vaccine when they requested it, something many have called “blatant age discrimination.”
Frustrated Mail on Sunday readers have lashed out at “insulting” and “crazy” regulations that mean people aged 65 and over 70 can get the shingles vaccine but those aged 66 to 69 cannot. can be vaccinated (file image)
MPs are now taking notice: Commons leader Penny Mordaunt has raised concerns with the Department of Health and Social Care about the situation, this newspaper understands. Ella Mordaunt says she plans to pressure the government to allow everyone aged 65 and up to receive the vaccine.
We have also been contacted by people across the UK who claim that, due to strict NHS rules, they have been forced to spend more than £400 to receive the vaccine privately.
Older patients also complained that they were prohibited from receiving the Shingrix vaccine because they had already received a now outdated and ineffective injection in the past.
An 80-year-old person told us that he had suffered four attacks of shingles since receiving the old vaccine ten years ago. Others explained that they had been affected by the virus between the ages of 66 and 69 and were furious at being blocked from the latest blow.
The condition is related to chickenpox, a highly contagious infection that causes blotchy, itchy rashes, usually in children.
The virus that causes it, varicella zoster, remains in the body for life, dormant in the spinal nerves, but as the immune system weakens with age it can reactivate, causing a red, blistered rash that can end up being unbearable. painful.
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt has raised concerns with the Department of Health and Social Care about the situation. She plans to pressure the Government to allow everyone aged 65 and over to get vaccinated.
Andrea Darwin, 68, suffered an attack last year that she compared to “someone attacking me with a red-hot knife every day for weeks.” It was her second shingles attack in less than five years; However, thanks to the restrictions she will have to wait another two years before being able to receive the vaccine.
“If I get vaccinated, I may never have to go through that terrible pain again,” he says. ‘I was very happy when I saw the vaccine advert, but then I found out I couldn’t get it. It’s ridiculous.
And Christine Farquhar, 66, was so worried about the risk of contracting shingles that she decided to pay £450 to receive the vaccine privately after being told she would have to wait until 2028 to receive it on the NHS.
Like many readers, Christine compared the situation to the “Waspi Women” scandal: women born in the 1950s who had their state pension age raised from 60 to 65 to be equal to men, but who He left them without money.
“Each injection costs £225,” he says. ‘I have already lost five years of state pension and free travel due to changes in government policy. I’m extremely upset.’
More than 50,000 elderly Britons develop shingles each year, and almost one in four will suffer from it at some point in their life.
In September, the government announced it would begin offering the new Shingrix shingles vaccine. The previous vaccine, called Zostavax, reduced the risk of shingles by 50 percent before declining. Shingrix is 90 percent effective and provides long-lasting protection. However, the vaccine is in high demand around the world, meaning the NHS has put a limit on the number of patients who can receive it, which experts say is the main reason for the decision to ban it to people of 66 to 69 years old. to have it.
There are also no plans to allow patients who already received Zostavax to be reinjected with the premium Shingrix due to supply shortages.
We have also heard from a worrying number of patients who have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to shingles, but have still been told they cannot receive the vaccine.
The new guidelines state that anyone over the age of 50 with a weakened immune system should receive the shingles vaccine.
But Russell Davison, 68, who has type 2 diabetes (which studies show increases the risk of shingles), has been told he will have to wait until he is 70 to get the vaccine.
“They have excluded me,” he says. “It seems strange to deny it to an age group that accepts and understands the value of vaccines.”
Carole Lawrence, 80, says she has suffered four attacks of shingles since receiving the Zostavax injection at age 70. ‘Every time it is in a different place, my waist, shoulder, arm, leg, but not so far on my face,’ she adds. ‘I feel really bad for a long time. My experience shows that the old vaccine was not very good.’
Experts say the NHS should consider offering the new vaccine to those who have already received Zostavax.
“Given that Zostavax protection only lasts about ten years, it would be logical to re-vaccinate people after this point,” says Professor Adam Finn, a vaccine expert at the University of Bristol and a government adviser on vaccines. “I can understand why people in their 80s would want this new vaccine.”
Both the UK Health Security Agency and Ms Mordaunt have been contacted for comment.
The confusing rules at a glance
Anyone turning 65 will now be offered the new Shingrix vaccine, and will remain eligible to receive it until age 80.
However, those who turned 65 before September 1, 2023 will have to wait until age 70 to receive the vaccine.
And anyone aged 70 to 80 who has not received the old Zostavax vaccine is also eligible to receive the Shingrix vaccine as part of a catch-up campaign.
The new shingles vaccine is available for people ages 50 and older who have severely weakened immune systems. This includes some people with blood cancer, HIV or AIDS, people who have recently had radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and anyone who has recently had an organ transplant.
People age 50 and older who take certain medications that severely weaken the immune system can also receive the shingles vaccine.
