Hawke’s Bay doctor calls for at-risk patients to check eligibility for new shingles vaccine

A Hawke’s Bay health expert is welcoming the expansion of a publicly funded vaccine programme to help protect thousands of at-risk Kiwis from the shingles virus.

Up to 15,000 Kiwis will benefit over the next two years from widened access to the varicella zoster virus vaccine (Shingrex).

From July 1, access to the vaccine was widened to include immunocompromised people aged 18 or older who are pre and post a solid organ transplant, haematopoietic stem cell transplant or cellular therapy, patients with blood cancer, those living with poorly controlled HIV infection, and those receiving disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for specific conditions (polymyalgia rheumatica, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis).

People with primary immunodeficiency, and stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease, including patients on dialysis, have also been deemed eligible.

From July 1, the Shingrex vaccine for the prevention of shingles was widened to include a greater number of people who are immunocompromised.

Hawke’s Bay kidney specialist and medical adviser at Kidney Health NZ, Dr Andrew McNally, said shingles was a disease that caused a blistering rash and shock-like pain.

Shingles is a herpes zoster reactivation and is more common, severe and longer lasting in people with poor immunity and the elderly.

“Now that we have got this vaccine, people may not have to go through it at all, or have a minimised shingles experience.”

He said shingles affected an area on the body called a dermatome, “an area of skin supplied by a nerve”.

“Herpes zoster and shingles can be a devastating disease, particularly for those more vulnerable members of the community,” McNally said.

He said the previous vaccine was a live one that came with more risk of other complications, whereas the new vaccine was non-live.

“In Hawke’s Bay we have over 100 patients who have had a kidney transplant and this vaccine was previously not accessible to these patients.”

Andrew McNally says shingles causes a burning and electric shock-like pain.

He said patients would get two vaccines two to six months apart, and wait times would not be an issue.

“Shingles can reoccur, so the idea of the vaccine is for it to minimise it coming back the first time and perhaps subsequent times — some patients have it reactivate more than once.”

Brett Marett, medical director at GSK, a science-led global healthcare company, said it was pleased to partner with Pharmac to expand access to the vital vaccine.

“This decision will provide much-needed protection against shingles.”

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.