Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

Approximately 10,000 people in Ireland develop shingles every year, two thirds of them over the age of 50. One in three of us who had chickenpox as children will develop shingles in our lifetime. The national immunisation advisory committee recommends five vaccines for older adults - flu, pneumococcal, Covid, shingles and RSV - yet only three are publicly funded. The shingles vaccine is available only to those who can pay for it, the cost being almost €500. This creates inequity, leaving many unprotected. Ireland is now an outlier, with 15 European countries, including the UK, France, Germany and Italy, already funding shingles vaccination for older and vulnerable people. Will the Taoiseach please consider adding shingles to the vaccination programme?

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