Australian gov't funds shingles vaccines for immunocompromised, elderly

STORY: Australian gov't funds shingles vaccines for immunocompromised, elderly DATELINE: Oct. 9, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:37 LOCATION: Canberra CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of medical center and pharmacy 2. various of the announcement of Mark Butler, the Minister for Health and Aged Care 3. various of medical center and pharmacy STORYLINE: The Australian government has announced it will fund free shingles vaccines for the elderly and immunocompromised. Mark Butler, the Minister for Health and Aged Care, on Sunday said that the government will spend 826.8 million Australian dollars (524.8 million U.S. dollars) to give nearly 5 million people who are at high risk of severe disease from shingles free access to the improved Shingrix vaccine under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). Under the initiative, all Australians aged 65 and over, Indigenous Australians aged 50 years and above and immunocompromised people aged 18 and over will be eligible to receive a free Shingrix vaccine from November 1