Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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1067. To ask the Minister for Health if a cancer patient in receipt of a full medical card has to pay for a shingles vaccine (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54776/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation.

The NIAC continues to revise recommendations to allow for the introduction of new vaccines in Ireland and to keep abreast of changes in the patterns of disease. Therefore, the immunisation schedule will continue to be amended over time. Shingles vaccination is not currently provided as part of the national immunisation programme.

It is open to an individual to source a vaccine from a GP outside of the national immunisation programme on the basis of a private arrangement.