this BC United Leader Kevin Falcon announced that if the party wins the next provincial election, residents over 50 will receive Shingles Free vaccines.
A seniors' advocacy group in British Columbia, Canada, has been calling for free shingles vaccines, with the latest request coming about a week ago.
this Government of Canada Shingles is classified as “an infectious disease characterized by a painful rash and blisters that usually appear in a strip on one side of the body (left or right).” The disease is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.
“United BC has been calling for the shingles vaccine to be free for years, a sentiment echoed by BC’s Independent Seniors Advocates in a report released earlier this week,” said Falcon.
“Amid an affordability crisis, countless seniors face significant financial barriers to getting the shingles vaccine, which costs approximately $160 per dose.
“BC United will ensure all seniors have access to the health care they deserve and launch a program that provides free shingles vaccines to prevent this painful and debilitating disease.”
BC United says almost 33 per cent of Canadians will develop shingles at least once in their lifetime, with people over the age of 50 being most likely to develop the disease.
Other provinces that already cover or partially cover the shingles vaccine include Ontario, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, Alberta and Quebec.
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“Kevin Falcon and the BC United Party are committed to protecting the health and well-being of seniors. By eliminating out-of-pocket costs, we will ensure all seniors, regardless of income, have access to this vital vaccine,” said MLA Shirley Bond, Shadow Minister of Health, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care for the BC United Party.
“Under the leadership of David Eby and the NDP, British Columbia has fallen behind in providing critical health care supports for seniors,” Bond said. “Our seniors built this province and they deserve better.”
The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), one of the country's largest advocacy groups for older community members, said it wants the British Columbia government to “respect seniors” by funding expert-recommended shingles and respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programs.
Last week was Seniors Week in British Columbia, and the organization said now is the perfect time to help the more than one million seniors in B.C.
According to CARP, the province is home to seven cities with the highest average aging populations in the country.
CARP says about 70 per cent of B.C. seniors have not been vaccinated against shingles.
In a recent Statistics Canada report, seniors cited cost as the main factor for not getting the shingles vaccine.
British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix spoke on the issue on May 31.
“As for shingles, we're definitely looking at it,” Dix said. “Most provinces have very incomplete plans, and we're looking at those plans. We're taking a hard look at it and hopefully bringing about change.”
The next BC provincial election is expected to be held on or before October 19.
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