A shingle vaccine for some of the island’s most vulnerable could be rolled out in early January, it has been revealed.

Newly appointed Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian was asked by Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse if she will provide an update on plans for the delivery of the shingles vaccine to island residents.

Ms Christian said: ‘In April 2023 Manx Care paused the shingles vaccination programme following change to the recommended product being changed for eligibility and dose.

‘Stocks of the previous vaccine became depleted and the new product has significantly higher costs.

‘In April 2024 the department instructed that the programme be resumed with the additional funding being allocated from the department’s own budget.

‘Manx Care has been instructed to recommence the vaccination programme as soon as possible and will be starting in early January at the latest.’

The minister said the plan was to catch up with the English shingles vaccine programme and she says Public Health estimates the take up for the vaccine will be around 40 per cent. She said 3,000 people had missed out on the vaccine while it was put on hold.

Shingles is caused by the herpes varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. Shingles itself is the reactivation of an infection of a nerve and the area of skin that it serves, resulting in clusters of painful and itchy blisters.

The vaccine will be offered to all those aged 70-79 years and for individuals aged 60 years and above with poor immune systems. Those who with severely weakened immune systems from 50 years of age upwards will also be eligible.

According to NICE, the overall annual incidence in the UK is estimated to be 1.85 to 3.9 cases per 1,000 population, increasing with age from less than two cases per 1,000 in people younger than 50 years to 11 cases per 1,000 in people aged 80 years or older.