Mallee residents that rely on vaccinations for shingles are the victims of the Albanese Labor Government’s mishandling of a now severe shingles vaccine shortage.
Health Minister Mark Butler has tried to pretend his government’s halting $826 million Shingrix vaccine rollout is uncontroversial, despite promising the shingles vaccine to around 5 million older Australians.
Doctors are saying they have to halt patients’ first doses due to the shortages and state governments are crying out for support and reportedly rationing how many doses General Practitioners can prescribe. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners claimed late last year some GPs have been unable to order enough doses to meet patient demand.
Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health, Dr Anne Webster, said that the Government made a clear commitment to roll out the shingles vaccine to Australians over the age of 65, and on-the-ground reports demonstrate the commitment is not going to plan.
“The Health Minister has been missing in action on this issue since Christmas, claiming there is no shortage. Shingles doesn’t take a holiday, and this rollout is on the slow train to nowhere. Meanwhile in my electorate, an estimated 40,000 Mallee constituents are eligible for this program and an estimated 650 shingles cases could be experienced in patients over 65 this year.
“The Albanese Labor Government must procure the appropriate number of vaccines to fulfil their promise to older Australians. If they have failed to do so, then they ought to be transparent and honest about it,” Dr Webster said, “This is irresponsible and Mark Butler needs to step up.
Shingles is a debilitating condition affecting one in three Australians in their lifetime, and it can have a devastating impact on the lives of those affected. Shingrix was put on the National Immunisation Program in November for an estimated five million people aged 65 and over, Indigenous people aged 50 and over, and immunocompromised people aged 18 and over with specific medical conditions. Prior to the NIP listing, the two-dose program cost around $560.
“The Albanese government must be transparent about problems with the rollout and what action they are taking to fix it.