Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) published its health technology assessment (HTA) of shingles (herpes zoster) vaccination for adults, following a public consultation that took place from 19 March to 30 April. 

HIQA undertook this assessment at the request of the Department of Health following a clinical recommendation from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). This HTA has been submitted as advice to the Minister for Health to inform a policy decision on whether to provide shingles vaccination as part of the adult immunisation programme in Ireland.

Dr Conor Teljeur, HIQA’s Chief Scientist, said: “We are grateful to all who participated in the public consultation. The input we received was carefully considered in this final assessment, and much of it is reflected in sections regarding burden of the disease, patient aspects and social aspects.

“Our assessment concludes that the shingles vaccine is safe and effective, but that the benefit of the vaccine decreases over time. We found that, at the current vaccine price, adding shingles vaccination to the routine immunisation schedule for the general population aged 50 years and older would not be an efficient use of HSE resources.” 

Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles causes a painful, blister-like rash. While some people experience severe disease or continue to experience pain for months, or even years, for most people, symptoms normally clear up within a month. Feedback from our public consultation highlighted the significant impact that shingles can have on individuals who experience longer-term complications. While shingles vaccines are available in Ireland, the HSE does not currently provide free vaccination — people must pay to be vaccinated.

The incidence and severity of shingles increases with age, with most cases occurring in people over the age of 50 years. People who are immunocompromised are also at increased risk of shingles and experiencing a severe disease course. HIQA assessed the impact of providing shingles vaccination for adults aged 50 years and older, and for those aged 18 years and older who are at increased risk due an immunocompromising condition or treatment.  

Ends.

Further information: 

Marty Whelan 

Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement 

085 805 5202 

mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to the Editor: 

• Information relating to shingles is available from the HSE, here.
• Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is typically recognised by a painful blistering rash on the torso. Shingles is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (commonly known as chickenpox). After varicella infections resolve, the virus remains latent in the body’s nervous system. The virus may reactivate, typically several decades later, resulting in shingles. The most frequent complication of shingles is post-herpetic neuralgia, a persistence of chronic pain after the healing of skin lesions.
• Information in relation to the National Immunisation Advisory Committee is available here.
• Shingles can occur at any age, with a lifetime risk of approximately 30% in those who have previously had varicella. You can only get shingles if you have already had chickenpox. You cannot pass shingles to another person, but coming in contact with shingles can cause chickenpox in someone who has never had it before. Older people and people with a medical condition or taking a medicine that can weaken their immune system have a higher risk of shingles.
• Common side effects of the vaccine include pain where the injection was given, tiredness and muscle pain. These reactions are mild and usually resolve within one to two days. Serious harm is rare.
• In addition to the direct health-related burden experienced by patients, shingles and its complications can contribute to significant healthcare costs and resource utilisation as well as indirect costs such as lost work time. 
• The draft report was published on the HIQA website for a six-week targeted and public consultation, after which it was updated based on feedback received. Details of the consultation are provided in the associated statement of outcomes report, also published on the HIQA website.
• HIQA has previously published the following document: Herpes Zoster (shingles) vaccination: Protocol for a health technology assessment.