Pensioner wild at vaccine ‘age-ism’
Waipukurau octogenarian Brian White was a bit miffed when he was told by a nurse while getting his flu jab recently that he did not qualify for the free shingles vaccine because he was older than 80.
But then he was downright peeved when he learned that, despite the fact shingles can be very painful and debilitating, especially for older people, it would cost him more than $200 from his small pension if he wanted the vaccine.
So at 83 Mr White has become a keyboard warrior, taking to social media to complain to his 244 Facebook friends about the decision to deny “the forgotten generation” of people over 80 the free shot. But he also wanted to alert those who were eligible so they don't miss out.
“It might save people getting sick. I also want to save people the hassle of finding out the way I did. I only enquired because they advertised it. It's bloody stupid,” he said about the age restriction.
Approved from April 1 by Pharmac, the government agency that decides which pharmaceuticals to subsidise, people now get one free dose of the Zostavax vaccine at age 65. But as part of a two-year “catch up” programme, people aged between 66 and 80 can also receive a free shingles vaccination until March 31, 2020.
Pharmac says one in every three people can expect to suffer at least one attack of shingles in their lifetime. Attacks could be “very painful, prolonged and debilitating, especially for older people,” it said.
In explaining the age restrictions, it said the effectiveness of the shingles vaccine “significantly' reduced, the older a person was — dropping from an efficacy rate of around 64 per cent for people aged 60 to 69, down to 38 per cent in those aged 70 and older, and 18 per cent in people over 80.
White, who was wary of shingles after once having to call an ambulance for a female neighbour who was hospitalised with the infection, felt the decision amounted to poor treatment of many pensioners who had contributed a lifetime of tax.
“It's political bulls**t. When I started working you could get a driver's licence at age 15. I worked all my life and I am still paying tax now. Now they are gonna tax me until I die apparently.”
Mr White said he had had hugs from people at the supermarket after his Facebook post, which had also had a few shares.
The grandfather of 24 and great-grandfather of 13 said he had been on Facebook for about four years.
“It's a good way to keep in check with the family, otherwise I'd lose track of them all.”
A HBDHB spokesperson said many people eligible for the free shingles vaccine were discussing it at the same time as receiving their flu shot.
■ Brian White's Facebook post: “Hi Fellow Oldies. I just wish to make you aware of the fact once you are over 80 yrs old you do not get a free Shingles injection. You have to pay $200 + . I personally find this bloody stupid. It looks to me once you are over 80yrs you don’t exist .So [therefore] we belong to the forgotten generation. But we still pay tax. Cheers fellow Octogenarians. By the way [I] am 83.4. Good luck.”