Many affected people have turned to the Austrian Ombudsman Board in recent years because they cannot afford the 500 Euros for the shingles vaccination. Despite the vaccination recommendation, there is not even a subsidy for the vaccination – people have to pay the full 500 Euros themselves.
‘After the price increases in recent years, this is unaffordable, especially for older people on low pensions,’ said Achitz. Achitz also supports the central procurement of the vaccine and the planned comprehensive rollout of the vaccination programme:
‘Vaccinations must be readily available, for example in public vaccination centres with a shared online appointment system or directly at the workplace. Low vaccination rates are a problem that can be attributed to increased scepticism about vaccination on the one hand, but also to organisational and financial barriers on the other.’
Shingles: a serious and painful disease
Shingles, caused by the varicella zoster virus, is a serious and very painful disease. It can cause blindness, among other things. The likelihood of developing the disease increases with age. Every year, 40,000 people in Austria contract shingles – half of them are over 50 years old. Ombudsperson Achitz: ‘Ideally, all vaccinations recommended by the national vaccination committee would be free of charge. The extension of the vaccination programme to include shingles and pneumococcus is a decisive step.’
ORF TV show Bürgeranwalt (‘Advocate for the People’) on the unaffordable shingles vaccination
Recommended, but unaffordable for many: the shingles vaccination