Loading Curie Briefs...
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Shingles cases among Australians aged 25–49 have surged dramatically since 2006, raising questions about whether to expand free vaccine access. Experts point to rising stress, increased immunosuppressant use, and growing diabetes rates as possible drivers. But with incomplete surveillance data and a costly vaccine, Australia faces tough decisions about who should get it for free.
Shingles — once thought of as an older person's disease — is showing up more and more in younger Australians. Cases among adults aged 25–49 jumped from just 299 in 2006 to over 5,200 in 2020, and experts aren't entirely sure why. Possible culprits include rising stress levels, more people on immunosuppressants, increasing diabetes rates, and even a potential side effect of the childhood chickenpox vaccine reducing natural immunity "boosting" in adults.
The true scale of the problem is murky, though. Shingles isn't a notifiable disease in all Australian states — including the most populous, New South Wales — meaning cases are likely significantly underreported. Experts are calling for consistent national surveillance before any major policy changes are made. Australia added the recombinant Shingrix vaccine to its National Immunisation Program in 2023, currently offered free to adults 65+, Indigenous Australians 50+, and high-risk patients 18+. Expanding eligibility to those aged 50+ is being debated, but the vaccine's high cost and questions about long-term protection timing complicate the decision.
By the numbers:
Why it matters: Beyond the painful blisters and risk of long-term nerve pain, emerging research suggests the shingles vaccine may also reduce dementia risk — raising the stakes for getting vaccination policy right.
