'It was awful': 100-year-old suffered shingles amid free vaccine shortage

The woman, who did not want to be named, didn't know she had been infected or why she had a blistering rash.

"It was awful," she told The Canberra Times.

"I went to the doctor about a week after I got it. I didn't know what the problem was, I was in such pain. He took a photo of my shoulder and showed me and he said, 'You've got shingles'."

Several general practices and pharmacies in Canberra have run out of Shingrix, the National Immunisation Program's free shingles vaccine for people aged 65 and above, immunocompromised people and First Nations people aged 50 and above.

The centenarian said some could not afford the private vaccine, about $310 per dose (you need two to be fully protected), and her local pharmacy had a lengthy waiting list for the government-funded shots.

She would be immune to the disease after the recent infection but called on the government to provide more Shingrix.

"I don't want to get it again. It's not very pleasant. I want to make sure I'm vaccinated so that I don't get it again. It's a wake-up call to the government to get more vaccines," she said.

There have been 18 cases of shingles reported in Canberra in June; most of them in people over 50.

At least 180 people have put themselves down for the free vaccine on a waiting list at Capital Chemist Southlands in Mawson.

TerryWhite Chemmart in Belconnen received its monthly supply of 10 doses last week, but with 14 people in line the free vials were gone in 24 hours.

Marketplace Medical Centre in Gungahlin said they had some vials left as of June 20, while Blooms The Chemist in Queanbeyan had about 25 doses left.

Dr Belinda Glasson from YourGP in Lyneham said some eligible patients would be waiting till September "at least".

They didn't have a waitlist but the doctor said her practice and two others in Denman and Crace had between 300 people who needed to be immunised.

She said ACT Health supplied the most doses - 43 - to YourGP in Crace while the other two practices received 26 per month.

"It doesn't seem to be calculated on which practices have a large number of older patients," said Dr Glasson, who daily had five to 10 patients eligible for the free shot.

"Makes my job as a GP so hard when I know I could have prevented post-shingles nerve pain if I simply had access to more vaccines. I hear that practices with older patients find their patients are going to new practices and getting their Shingrix."

Dr Glasson was most worried about "missed opportunities". She said immunosuppressed people and those older than 70 would have a higher rate of neuropathic pain and recurrence if they had a previous history of shingles.

"We have everyday to vaccinate vulnerable people who may be coming for an annual checkup or six-monthly diabetes review and we don't have stock to protect them," Dr Glasson said.

There was high demand for Shingrix (90 per cent efficacy in prevention) across Australia after it replaced Zostavax (50 per cent efficacy) on the National Immunisation Program in November 2023.

As such, the federal government is responsible for procuring the vaccine.

"Uptake has exceeded initial forecasts," an ACT Health spokesperson said.

They said the ACT received a monthly supply based on eligible populations which were equally distributed to providers.

"Supply would be ongoing so that all eligible people will be able to get vaccinated," the spokesperson said.

The Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said the federal government had recently ordered 750,000 additional doses of Shingrix - 10,000 of these vials were being sent to the ACT "on top of their usual supply".

"Additional doses have already been delivered to providers and are ready to administer and more are being delivered regularly," Mr Butler said.