New NIA Report Warns Shingles Remains a Costly, Overlooked Health Risk for Older Canadians

As Canada marks National Shingles Awareness Week, the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) is releasing a new report warning that shingles remains a largely overlooked yet preventable health risk for older Canadians.  Shingles infections continue to cause unnecessary pain and long-term complications for individuals and avoidable strain on Canada’s health care system.

Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) strongly recommends the recombinant zoster vaccine for adults aged 50 and older, as well as immunocompromised adults aged 18 and older. Despite this recommendation, fewer than four in ten Canadians aged 50 and older reported having received at least one dose of the shingles vaccine. 

The new report, The Overlooked Issue of Shingles Infections in Older Canadians and How to Address It, estimates that approximately 130,000 new shingles cases occur in Canada each year. The report also estimates an annual health system impact of approximately $67–82 million, driven primarily by the prevalence of shingles among adults aged 60 and older and its associated complications. 

“Shingles is not just a short-term inconvenience. It can cause debilitating pain, a significant decline in quality of life and a loss of independence for older adults,” said Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Health Policy Research of the NIA. “What makes this especially concerning is that shingles is largely preventable.