Martin Daly urges health minister to reconsider shingles vaccine
Martin Daly asked the Minister for Health and government to reconsider its stance on the shingles vaccine, citing a Nature study that found shingles vaccination in older people reduced dementia onset by about 20%. He argued the finding, based on the introduction of the vaccine in Wales and noting NHS coverage for over-60s, should improve the cost-benefit case for an elderly shingles vaccination programme.
Martin Daly requested that the Minister for Health and the government review their position on the shingles vaccine for older people, highlighting recent research linking vaccination to a reduced risk of dementia.
The study referenced was published in Nature and examined the introduction of the shingles vaccine in Wales. Daly noted the shingles vaccine is offered to all over-60s in the NHS in the UK and in a number of other jurisdictions, and said the dementia finding - about a 20% reduction in onset - is material to cost-benefit analysis.
A government representative responded that the shingles vaccine is understood to be significantly expensive but said they were struck by the Nature research Daly cited. The representative said they would raise the evidence with the Minister for Health.
The respondent emphasised general support for vaccines as a public health intervention, noting their role in preventing infectious disease historically. The reply also underlined the importance of the COVID vaccine in helping society return toward normality and reiterated support for discussing the shingles evidence with the Minister for Health.
Shingles vaccine request
Martin Daly requested that the Minister for Health and the government review their position on the shingles vaccine for older people, highlighting recent research linking vaccination to a reduced risk of dementia.
Cited research and international coverage
The study referenced was published in Nature and examined the introduction of the shingles vaccine in Wales. Daly noted the shingles vaccine is offered to all over-60s in the NHS in the UK and in a number of other jurisdictions, and said the dementia finding - about a 20% reduction in onset - is material to cost-benefit analysis.
Government reaction and cost concerns
A government representative responded that the shingles vaccine is understood to be significantly expensive but said they were struck by the Nature research Daly cited. The representative said they would raise the evidence with the Minister for Health.
Public health framing and wider vaccine support
The respondent emphasised general support for vaccines as a public health intervention, noting their role in preventing infectious disease historically. The reply also underlined the importance of the COVID vaccine in helping society return toward normality and reiterated support for discussing the shingles evidence with the Minister for Health.
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Transcript
I'd just like to ask that if it would be possible for the Minister of Health and our department, the government reconsidered its stance on the shingles vaccine, given recent studies that show that the administration of shingles vaccine in the elderly population has the added benefit of the reduction of the onset of dementia by about 20%. It's a significant additional piece of information and data published in Nature magazine and it was based on a study of the introduction of shingles vaccine in Wales. The shingles vaccine is offered to all over 60s now in the NHS in the UK and a number of other jurisdictions and I believe this bit of data would improve the cost benefit of analysis on the introduction of a shingles vaccine programme for elderly people. Thank you. Deputy Daly and I think Deputy Cahill raised the issue of shingles vaccine. My understanding is that it was a significantly expensive vaccine but I am struck by the research that Deputy Daly cited there in respect of it also having an impact in terms of the prevention of onset of dementia by as high a figure as 20%. That is very significant and I believe that research you were saying was published recently in Nature magazine. So I will talk to the Minister for Health in respect of that. Generally speaking I am a supporter of vaccines as a public health intervention. They have been extremely effective in the history of this country. If you look at what people died from a hundred years ago, they are not dying of that anymore. Primarily because of the successful introduction of vaccines to deal with a lot of infectious disease. And that easily gets forgotten in modern discourse and debates. The COVID vaccine was essential to society coming back to some degree of normality. Without the COVID-19 vaccine, we would still be in deep trouble. And I think it is important to state that. So I will go to the Minister in respect of that. Thank you.