Shingles vaccination

Shingles (also called herpes zoster) is the disease caused when the chickenpox virus reactivates. Shingles can cause severe pain that can last for months.

From 1st November 2023, the Federal Government has been funding a new shingles vaccine called Shingrix.  Patients aged over 65, First Nations people aged 50 and over, and immunocompromised people aged 18 years and over are eligible. This is a course of two doses, given two to six months apart.

If you previously received a free Zostavax shingles vaccine under the National Immunisation Program, you are not eligible for a free Shingrix vaccine for at least 5 years. If you purchased the Zostavax vaccine privately, you can receive Shingrix for free under the program, if you are eligible. You should wait at least 12 months between receiving Zostavax and getting the Shingrix vaccine.

At this early stage, we are receiving limited vaccines with each delivery, therefore we have commenced small clinics to accommodate our patients most at risk of complications from shingles. If you feel that you qualify for Shingrix, talk to your health professional about your eligibility so that we can add you to our list for our coming clinics.