chickenpox vaccine for adults :: Article CreatorShingles Vaccines Cost To Drop For 65-year-olds In FY 2025
To combat the rising cases of shingles, a particular scourge for older adults, the health ministry will add its vaccination to the national immunization program, starting in fiscal 2025.
That will make people aged 65 eligible for the vaccine, with a portion of the cost covered by public funds.
A ministry expert panel approved the change on Dec. 18.
For those who have already passed that age, the program will include individuals aged 66 and above for the first five years.
Symptoms of shingles, also known as herpes zoster, include burning or stabbing pain accompanied by a rash of blisters that typically follows a nerve pathway on the body or the face.
Up to 50 percent of patients experience lingering nerve pain for months or even years.
Two types of shingles vaccines are approved in Japan: a live vaccine that requires a single dose and a recombinant vaccine that requires two doses.
They cost about 10,000 yen ($65) and 40,000 yen, respectively.
Currently, these vaccines are available to individuals aged 50 and older, as well as to those at least 18 who are at higher risk of developing the disease due to immune deficiency and other conditions.
Under the existing vaccine program, individuals must cover the full cost unless their local government provides a subsidy.
Shingles cases surge in people in their 50s and peak in those in their 70s.
The new initiative aims to vaccinate individuals at age 65, helping to ensure that acquired immunity peaks around the age of 70, according to the ministry.
The program also includes individuals aged 60 to 64 who have weakened immunity due to HIV infection.
Shingles and chickenpox are caused by the same virus.
After a patient recovers from chickenpox, a common childhood disease, the virus remains dormant in the nervous system and can reactivate later in life, particularly when the immune system is weakened.
It is estimated that one in three people will experience shingles by the age of 80.
Louisville Sees 'spike' In Chickenpox Cases Among The Unvaccinated
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Lesions caused by the chickenpox virus. (CDC Public Health Image Library)
Kentucky's largest city is seeing a "spike" in probable and confirmed cases of the highly contagious chickenpox, all of which have been in unvaccinated people or in babies too young to be inoculated, according to the city health department.
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness said Friday that there have been 14 cases of chickenpox this year in Jefferson County among unvaccinated children and adults. Seven of those were reported in November, doubling the number of cases in the 10 months prior.
Dr. Kris Bryant, the associate medical director at the health department and a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Norton Children's Hospital. (Screenshot)
There have also been a "handful" of cases in nearby counties, said Dr. Kris Bryant, the associate medical director at the health department and a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Norton Children's Hospital.
"Chickenpox is a mild disease in many children. Before we had the availability of chickenpox vaccines, nearly everybody in the U.S. Got chickenpox by the time they were 9 or 10," Bryant said during a morning press conference. "But there are certainly people who are at risk for more severe disease."
Those more at risk include pregnant people, young children and people with weakened immune systems, she said.
Chickenpox cases in Louisville from 2019-2024. (The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness)
Who should get vaccinated?
Children should get their first dose of the chickenpox vaccine between 12-15 months old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They can then get a second dose between 4-6 years old. The 2-dose regime is about 90% effective, according to the CDC.
Symptoms of chickenpox include rashes of itchy, "fluid-filled" blisters — up to 500 — that start on the face, chest and back and then spread to the rest of the body, according to the CDC. The disease is contagious until all spots scab over, Bryant said.
Chickenpox primarily spreads through touching or "close contact" with someone with the disease, according to the CDC.
"I encourage parents and guardians to discuss the chickenpox vaccine with their health care provider," Bryant said. "We can protect children from this potentially dangerous illness."
Medical providers should report chickenpox cases to the health department, Bryant said, by calling 502-574-6675 or via the form on our website.
"Chickenpox has been so uncommon in our community in recent years…that there are many health care providers in our community who have never seen a case of chickenpox," Bryant said. "That's a testament to our immunization program."
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Expert Explains Shingles And The Shingles Vaccine
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