P.E.I. expands eligibility for free shingles vaccine
More Prince Edward Islanders are now eligible for a free shingles vaccine after the province lowered the age of eligibility by 10 years.
Effective immediately, Islanders aged 50 and over can book an appointment for the Shingrix Vaccine by contacting a P.E.I. community pharmacy.
For best protection, the province says two lifetime doses are required, given between two and six months apart.
The cost of the vaccine for residents aged 50 and up is covered by the provincial government.
“This improvement makes our shingles vaccine program the most comprehensive in the country and represents a major step forward in our commitment to the health and well-being of Islanders,” said Health and Wellness Minister Mark McLane in a news release.
“By lowering the age eligibility, we are providing more residents with access to this important preventive measure, helping to reduce the overall impact of shingles across our province.”
Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. It is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.
It’s estimated 30 per cent of adults will develop shingles in their lifetime and 10 per cent will develop lingering and debilitating nerve pain, according to the province’s release.
"Expanding the eligibility of government-funded shingles vaccine to include those 50 to 59 years of age is welcomed news,” said Erin MacKenzie, executive director of the PEI Pharmacists Association. “Pharmacists are routinely asked about the shingles vaccine by people in this age group who are looking for ways to prevent this potentially debilitating condition.”
More information about the shingles vaccine can be found online.
For more Prince Edward Island news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bloc MPs will vote confidence in Liberal government next week: Blanchet
The Conservatives' first shot at toppling the Liberal government is likely doomed to fail, after Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet told reporters his MPs will vote confidence in the government.
Here's why you should get all your vaccines as soon as possible
With all these shots, some Canadians may have questions about the benefit of each vaccine, whether they should get every shot and how often to get them, and if it's safe to get them all at once or if they should space them out.
Teen faces new charge in Sask. high school arson attack
A 14-year-old student who allegedly set her classmate on fire is facing a new charge.
'I'm here for the Porsche': Video shows brazen car theft in Mississauga
Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.
First-of-its-kind facility hopes to launch Canada into rare earths market
A Saskatchewan organization is breaking ground as the first to commercially produce rare earth metals in North America.
Jeremy Dutcher makes Canadian music history
Jeremy Dutcher made Canadian music history Tuesday night by winning a second Polaris Music Prize for his second album, Motewolonuwok.
Exploding electronic devices kill 20, wound 450 in second day of explosions in Lebanon
Lebanon's health ministry said Wednesday that at least 20 people were killed and 450 others wounded by exploding electronic devices in multiple regions of the country. The explosions came a day after an apparent Israeli attack targeting pagers used by Hezbollah killed at least 12 and wounded nearly 3,000. Here are the latest updates.
RCMP feared they didn't have enough evidence to hold terror suspect sought by U.S.
Court documents filed in the case of a Pakistani man arrested in Quebec for an alleged plot to kill Jews in New York City reveal the RCMP didn't have enough evidence to hold him in Canada.
Federal government to further limit number of international students
The federal government will be further limiting the number of international students permitted to enter Canada next year. It’s the government’s latest immigration-related measure to address Canadians' ongoing housing and affordability concerns.