The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is defending the decision to only cover the cost of shingles vaccines for people over the age of 70 if they are immunocompromised.

The vaccines will be available as of June 1. Anyone aged 65 to 70 can get their vaccine covered, but government is only going to foot the bill for people above that age if they are deemed immunocompromised.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says when they are looking at publicly funded vaccine programs they are always looking at a cost-benefit scenario to ensure they are responsibly providing the best protection they can.

She says the 65+ cohort is really large, and the risk of hospitalization from shingles increases after that age. She says they need to balance the best immune response they can get with protection, noting that those with compromised immune systems can get the vaccine covered.

PC Health critic Barry Petten doesn’t understand why government is providing limited coverage after 70, but believes cost may be a factor.

Petten says the pain from shingles is the same at 80 as it is at 70, so he is “at a loss” for the different rules for the two age groups.

More information can be found online through the government’s news release and seniors well-being page or by calling the 811 health line.