Vaccination Programme Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-12 ============================================================ Robbie Gallagher (FF), Labour Panel Cuirim fáilte mór roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. She is very welcome back to the Chamber this afternoon. I thank her for taking the time out to be here. They say a stitch in time saves nine and the evidence that the shingles vaccination not only protects people from what can be a very painful illness and its possible complications, but also helps prevent cardiovascular disease, stroke and dementia is surely a case in point. Shingles is an infection that causes a painful rash caused by the chickenpox virus and can lead to many complications. It is estimated that every one in ten adults could develop shingles every year. Keeping older people healthy and active for as long as possible in their lives is a vitally important goal, not just for their quality of life, but also with regard to the costs and pressures on the health system. Consultant geriatrician and stroke physician at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Professor Rónán Collins, has said vaccination is the greatest single medical advance in modern history. There are many calls for the shingles vaccine to be made available for free to those over 65 years of age, similar to what our nearest neighbour in the UK has done. However, the vaccine is only available privately at a cost of around €480 for the two doses. The vaccine is very effective, and several countries provide for it, including the UK, Australia, Luxembourg and Canada. Clearly, they see the extra benefit in the evidence of the drug's effectiveness in protecting not just against shingles, but also against Alzheimer's disease and heart disease. Professor Luke O'Neill, whom I am sure the Minister of State is aware of, has said that assuming a 70% uptake on the vaccine and overall instance of around 10,000 cases a year, the vaccine could result in a saving to the State of up to €8 million per annum. Active Retirement Ireland has recommended the vaccine for all adults aged 65 and over, as well as for certain immunocompromised groups. I call on the Government to actively examine ways to enable the vaccine to be publicly funded or for State-supported access, including engagement with the makers on the actual pricing of it. Right now, access depends on ability to pay only and that is not equitable. Shingles is not simply an acute condition. It can have everlasting and significant consequences, and there should be recognition that the vaccination for older people is an issue of prevention, equity and healthy aeging. I look forward to the Minister of State's response. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-12/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:55+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-05-12