Department of Health
Vaccination against shingles with the Zostavax® vaccine is free under the National Immunisation Program for immunocompetent people aged 70.
The catch-up program for people aged 71-79 years has been extended for a further 2 years to 31 October 2023.
This means patients who missed out or delayed vaccination due to the pandemic or other reasons, will now have longer to get vaccinated against shingles.
Routine vaccination remains an essential health service during the pandemic. Vaccination providers should follow up eligible patients who may benefit from the vaccine and may have missed out earlier in the program.
It is now mandatory for vaccination providers to report all NIP vaccinations to the Australian Immunisation Register.
Contraindications
- Administration of Zostavax® should be undertaken in line with recommendations in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
- Zostavax® is contraindicated in people with current or recent severe immunocompromising conditions from either primary or acquired medical condition or medical treatment.
- Careful pre-screening and a risk-based assessment is required before administration of any dose of Zostavax.
- Immunisation providers are recommended to use the Live shingles vaccine (Zostavax) screening for contraindications tool to determine the suitability of Zostavax® for their patients.
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