The British laboratory GSK's vaccine against shingles will be covered in France for the elderly and adults whose immune systems are failing, according to a decree published on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 in the Official Journal. Until now, the Shingrix vaccine, recommended since March 2024 for people aged 18 and over whose immune systems are failing, as well as for people aged 65 and over, was available in city pharmacies but without being reimbursed. It had been reimbursed since May at 100% only in hospitals as part of a so-called direct access system, an early reimbursement procedure for certain medications.
Shingles is an infection that can affect anyone who has had chickenpox.
Health insurance coverage is provided for “Prevention of shingles and postherpetic neuralgia in adults aged 65 and over, and adults aged 18 and over at increased risk of shingles”, details the order. "This step also means that community pharmacists, nurses and medical biologists will now be able to prescribe and administer Shingrix.", underlines in a press release the GSK laboratory which markets Shingrix in more than 40 countries.
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Shingles is an infection that can affect anyone who has had chickenpox. It is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which can occur when the immune system is weakened due to, for example, illness, treatment (such as chemotherapy) or age, according to the High Authority for Health (HAS). The HAS concluded in March that "the effectiveness of the Shingrix vaccine was "much higher than that of the Zostavax vaccine" recommended since 2013 for the elderly.
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