Fall in new shingles cases despite fewer having jab

THERE has been a “substantial” decrease in the number of people developing shingles – but fewer people are getting vaccinated, health experts have warned.

Public Health England (PHE) said there had been a 13 per cent decline in 70-year-olds being immunised since the start of its shingles vaccination programme, and an 8.4 per cent decline in people aged 78 – the two ages that people are invited to be vaccinated at.

The programme was introduced in September 2013 to protect the elderly from the painful condition, which can be especially debilitating for older people.

A study, published in the Lancet Journal of Public Health, estimates the vaccine was 62 per cent effective against shingles and up to 88 per cent effective against post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), or long-term pain, one of the main complications of shingles.

It found that GP visits for shingles and PHN reduced by 35 per cent and 50 per cent respectively in those aged 70 during 2013-2016.

An estimated 17,000 GP visits for shingles were also avoided among the 5.5 million individuals who were given the vaccination in the first three years of the programme across England.

More than 50,000 cases of shingles occur in people aged 70 and over each year in England and Wales, with about 50 cases being fatal.