- The GSK shingles vaccine , Shingrix , will be available to eligible people via the National Immunisation Program ( NIP ) on 1 November 2023 .

- There are more than four million Australians aged 65 years and over . Many of these will now be eligible for a new funded vaccine against shingles .

- Shingrix is the first non-live vaccine to be listed on the National Immunisation Program ( NIP ) for the prevention of shingles .

- Shingrix is indicated for adults from the age of 50 years and above , and adults from the age of 18 years and above who are at increased risk of shingles .

GSK Australia welcomes the listing of Shingrix ( Recombinant Varicella Zoster Virus glycoprotein E antigen ( AS01B adjuvanted vaccine )) on the National Immunisation Program ( NIP ) for the prevention of herpes zoster ( HZ ) and post-herpetic neuralgia ( PHN ) in Australia on 1 November 2023 .

Shingrix is the first non-live vaccine to be listed on the NIP for the prevention of shingles and PHN . Non-live vaccines do not contain live viruses so they cannot replicate in the body and do

not cause disease , even in people with weakened immune systems .

Shingles can be a painful and potentially debilitating condition . It is a viral infection that is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus , the same virus that causes chickenpox earlier in life . About one in three people will develop shingles in their lifetime and nearly all adults aged 50 years and older carry the inactive virus that causes shingles .

Those eligible for the Shingrix vaccination via the NIP on 1 November 2023 include :

• individuals 65 years of age and older ;

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals aged 50 years and older ;

• immunocompromised individuals aged 18 years and older with conditions at ‘ high risk ’ of shingles . These conditions include haemopoietic stem cell transplant , solid organ transplant , haematological malignancy and advanced or untreated HIV .

For people who are severely immunocompromised , the risk of

developing shingles can be up to three times higher .

Shingles also comes with the risk of post-disease complications , the most common being postherpetic neuralgia ( PHN ). The incidence of PHN increases with age , ranging from approximately 10 % in people aged 50 to 59-years-old to up to 20 % in those aged over 80 .

Shingrix is indicated for adults from the age of 50 years and above , and adults from the age of 18 years and above who are at increased risk of shingles .

Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney , and infectious diseases expert , Robert Booy , said the NIP listing is a positive step forward by the government in helping Australians who are vulnerable to shingles manage their risk of this painful and potentially debilitating disease .

“ Shingles can be serious , and in some cases can result in patients being impacted by debilitating , long-term effects . People who develop shingles

generally need time off work , sometimes for weeks , and if they experience postherpetic neuralgia , the pain can linger long after the rash and blisters have disappeared .

“ Those 18 years of age and over who are immunocompromised , as well as people aged 65 or older have greater potential to develop shingles and related complications . I encourage those who fall into the groups for this NIP listing to speak with their healthcare professional about their risk of shingles and how they can protect themselves .”