People aged sixty or older will soon be able to get vaccinated against shingles for free. The cabinet wants to include the vaccine in the National Immunisation Programme, sources confirm to press agency ANP after reports from RTL News.
The free vaccinations are part of a new healthcare agreement that the cabinet and the healthcare sector have been discussing for some time. This agreement is expected to be concluded next week. People currently have to pay for the two necessary injections themselves. That costs several hundred euros.
The disease has become more common among the elderly in recent years. The number of people over 65 who went to the doctor with shingles has doubled in a year, research institute Nivel reported at the end of April.
The plan will cost the government millions of euros, but it will also save many cases of illness. About 90,000 people a year suffer from shingles. About five hundred of them are admitted to hospital.
Shingles is an infectious disease that causes a rash. Symptoms include itching, tingling, burning pain and blisters and scabs on the skin. The elderly and people with reduced resistance in particular can suffer from significant and long-lasting symptoms.
The new healthcare agreement also makes more money available for screening women with dense breast tissue. Ordinary breast cancer screenings do not work well enough for these women. An estimated 160,000 such screenings are performed annually. MRI scans may become more expensive for these women in the future. Money is being set aside for this.