Shingles vaccination for 60-year-olds

The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) has decided to make the shingles vaccine available free of charge to people aged 60 years. The exact time when this free vaccination starts is not yet known. More information will be provided later.

Because the vaccine is relatively expensive and there are more than five million people over the age of 60 in the Netherlands, it has been decided to offer vaccination only to 60-year-olds for the time being. In this way, most cases of shingles can be prevented in the long term.

What is the shingles vaccination?

The shingles vaccination consists of 2 injections containing the Shingrix vaccine. There is a period of 2 to 6 months between the 2 injections. The shingles vaccination prevents 9 out of 10 cases of shingles and prolonged pain caused by shingles. Protection lasts for at least 6 to 10 years.

Who could benefit from a shingles vaccination?

The shingles vaccination may be beneficial for:

• People aged 60 years and older.
• People in certain medical risk groups. Illness or treatment makes their immune system particularly vulnerable. The vaccination will be reimbursed for adults who:
  o    have (recently) had or are planning to have a stem cell transplant;
  o    have a malignant tumour or lymphoma and receive treatment that suppresses the immune system;
  o    have had an organ transplant or are scheduled to have one;
  o    are infected with HIV;
  o    are or will be treated with immunosuppressant biologicals or JAK inhibitors.

Where can I get a shingles vaccination?

You can make an appointment for the shingles vaccination with your GP or at a vaccination clinic.

If you are in a medical risk group, you can receive a shingles vaccination through your treating physician.

Is the vaccination against shingles covered by insurance?

The shingles vaccination is reimbursed for people in medical risk groups. This includes people who have received or are receiving a stem cell transplant or organ transplant, are taking or will be taking immunosuppressants, have a certain type of cancer or are infected with HIV. If you belong to one of these medical risk groups and want to receive a shingles vaccination, please discuss this with your treating physician. You may have to pay some of the costs. This depends on your excess and how much you have already used.

If you do not fall into any of these medical risk groups and would like to be vaccinated, you will have to pay for the vaccination yourself.

How effective is the shingles vaccine?

The shingles vaccine works very well. In adults aged 50 years and older, the vaccine prevents around 90 percent of shingles cases. That means that for every 10 cases of shingles, 9 can be prevented by vaccination. Vaccination also prevents 90 percent of cases in which people continue to have severe pain for a long time after having shingles. This is still over 80 percent, even 6 to 10 years after vaccination.

Possible side effects of vaccination against shingles

Vaccination against shingles is safe. However, there are many mild side effects, such as:

• pain at the injection site
• muscle pain
• gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea
• tiredness
• headache
• fever

These symptoms may cause some discomfort, but they do not usually last longer than 3 days. Serious side effects are rare.

A detailed description of possible side effects can be found in the package leaflet for the shingles vaccine and on the site of the Netherlands pharmacovigilance centre Lareb.

Does the shingles vaccination reduce the risk of dementia?

Several studies show that shingles vaccines may also help to reduce or delay the onset of dementia. At present, these studies are not enough to recommend shingles vaccination to prevent dementia. This requires more research.

I have had shingles before. Would a vaccination still be effective?

Even if someone has had shingles before, vaccination can be effective to prevent a new shingles infection.

Does a shingles vaccination help to prevent long-term pain (PHN) caused by shingles?

Some of the people who have had shingles continue to suffer from pain after the rash has cleared. This is called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). The pain is caused by inflamed nerves. A shingles vaccination will not relieve this pain if someone has already developed these symptoms. Vaccination cannot change that. Vaccination prevents (the re-occurrence of) shingles and PHN, but it is not a treatment for them.