Patient associations condemn the delay in protection against shingles and call for a swift Government decision

Five patient associations and movements today issued a direct appeal to the Minister of Health, urging the Government to put an end to what they describe as an “unacceptable inequity” in access to prevention of Herpes Zoster, commonly known as shingles.

In an Open Letter sent to the Ministry of Health, the organisations recall that, in 2024, the Vaccination Technical Committee of the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) recommended including the Herpes Zoster vaccine in the National Vaccination Programme (PNV) for priority at-risk groups, following an assessment of the available scientific evidence. More than two years later, that recommendation has still not resulted in a political decision. For the signatory associations, the issue is no longer one of scientific knowledge or technical assessment.

“The evidence has been there for a long time. The recommendation was made a long time ago. The Government has long recognised the importance of prevention and vaccination for healthy ageing. What is still missing is a decision” they state in the letter.

The signatories note that Herpes Zoster can cause severe and disabling pain for months or even years, with a particularly serious impact on people living with chronic illness, immunosuppression or advanced age. For many patients, they add, the disease means loss of independence, isolation and a significant deterioration in quality of life.

The letter also highlights what they regard as a difficult-to-understand contradiction: in June 2025, the Government identified the creation of a National Adult Vaccination Programme as a strategic priority to promote active and healthy ageing, yet more than a year later neither has that programme been implemented nor has the Herpes Zoster vaccine been included in the PNV.

“With every month that passes without a decision, people in Portugal become ill, suffer preventable complications and remain without access to protection that the State itself recognises as beneficial” they warn.

The organisations also stress that the vaccine has been available in Portugal for several years, but only to those who can afford its cost, a situation they consider incompatible with the principles of equity underpinning the National Health Service.

“Today, protection against shingles still depends on the size of each person’s wallet. Those who can pay can protect themselves. Those who cannot are left waiting. It is precisely this inequality that we want to see corrected” they state.

In addition to preventing the disease and its complications, the associations also point to recent scientific evidence indicating further potential benefits of Herpes Zoster vaccination, including possible reductions in the risk of cardiovascular events and dementia, further strengthening the clinical and social value of this preventive strategy.

The signatory organisations consider that, in light of a favourable technical recommendation, the rapid ageing of the Portuguese population and the Government’s own public commitment to prevention, the prolonged absence of a decision has become difficult to understand and justify: “What we are asking for is not a new assessment. We are simply asking for consistency between words and action, speed in implementing prevention, and respect for the thousands of people in Portugal who are still waiting for a decision that has been described as imminent for far too long.”

The letter is signed by ANDAR – National Association of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, APDP – Portuguese Diabetes Association, APIR – Portuguese Association of People with Kidney Failure, GAT – Treatment Activist Group, and MOVA – Patients for Vaccination Movement.

Photography: Mário João.