Senator Conway has voiced his support for an Active Retirement petition to provide the shingles vaccine free at the point of delivery to over 65s.
The petition asks the Minister for Health, the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive to:
- Include shingles vaccination for adults aged 65+, free of charge at the point of delivery, in the 2026 National Immunisation Programme.
- Remove cost as a barrier to ensure equitable access for all older people.
- Recognise that prevention reduces GP visits, hospitalisation, and supports independent living and healthy ageing.
- Align with international best practice: the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Canada, Australia, and the US provide the vaccine at low or no cost.
Speaking during the Joint Committee for Health Debate, Waterford Senator Joe Conway, said: “The pharmacy industry is eager and desirous of people getting the shingles vaccine”.
“Cynics would say they would say that because they make them, but GSK in Ireland does not want Ireland to be an outlier and a country that is not providing this [vaccine],” explained Senator Conway.
“As I said in the debate in the Seanad, if I was living in Tandragee as opposed to Tramore, County Waterford, I would have had the vaccine free last August whereas as I ended up paying €500 for it,” he said.
“I could afford it but there are 800,000 people out there who may not.”
Senator Conway went on to say why he believed means testing a free shingles vaccine would not be appropriate, as older people may be inclined to skip the vaccine rather than have their finances scrutinised.
“We mentioned means-testing. From my experience of 20-odd years as a councillor, when talking to the older cohort about means-testing, a lot of anxiety is raised among the people on the margins who do not like the Government looking into the few bob they have here and there.
“If the vaccine is means-tested, it will rule a lot of people out. It needs to be universally available,” he said.
The petition is available on the Active Retirement Ireland website: https://activeirl.ie/shingles-vaccine-petition/
AARON KENT
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
