A petition led by Francisco George, a public health specialist and former director-general of Health, has gathered support from three scientific societies and five patient associations, highlighting an urgent call to action against a disease that may affect one in three people.
The initiative’s promoters state that “the support of over a thousand citizens reinforces the urgency of the measure, especially when 13 European countries have already included this vaccine in their vaccination schedules. Meanwhile, Portugal continues to make this prevention accessible only to those who can afford it, currently without any subsidies.”
The petitioners argue that vaccination against shingles imposes a financial burden on the patient amounting to approximately 70% of the social support index.
They emphasize that in just one year, from July 2023 to June 2024, 62,985 adults were diagnosed with shingles and required healthcare due to the condition, which severely impacts quality of life, causing intense pain and potentially leading to vision loss and motor difficulties.
In addition to health impacts, a shingles episode carries an economic burden for the National Health Service, with annual costs estimated at 10.2 million euros, including direct costs (7.2 million euros) and indirect costs like work absenteeism, exceeding 2.4 million euros annually.
Petitioners advocate that these costs can be avoided through the vaccine, which is scientifically proven and provides protection for over 11 years.
“The sustainability of the National Health Service (SNS) requires effective preventive measures to reduce the impact of diseases that undermine citizen autonomy and overburden the healthcare system,” the petition states.
It also highlights that in Portugal, life expectancy at age 65 is 19.5 years for women and 17.7 years for men, but less than half of that time is lived in good health, placing the country below the European average.
“This aging with disease underscores the urgent need for effective preventive strategies,” the petitioners argue.
The document also states that “several appeals were made to the Government, Parliament, and the Directorate-General of Health, with no concrete response, repeatedly delaying the update of the National Vaccination Program, thereby perpetuating inequality in access to prevention.” The petition is supported by the Portuguese Association of General Practice and Family Medicine, the Portuguese Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, and the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology, as well as associations PSOPortugal, Respira – Portuguese Association of People with COPD and Other Chronic Respiratory Diseases, Portuguese Association Against Leukaemia, Portuguese League Against Rheumatic Diseases, and the Portuguese Association of Renal Insufficiency.
