Manitobans seeking the shingles vaccine have to empty their pockets before rolling up their sleeves.

The two-dose Shingrix vaccine — the only shingles immunization currently approved in Canada — costs roughly $300. Four of Canada’s provinces and territories cover the cost for eligible residents; Manitoba isn’t one of them.

“I think that there still is a lot of people who are surprised that it’s not covered provincially because it is a vaccine that is recommended,” said Pharmacists Manitoba practice adviser Britt Kural.

“I think the number of adults who’ve received this vaccine in Manitoba is much lower than what we’d like to see because the cost of the vaccine can be quite significant.”

The vaccine offers protection against the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. While anyone who has had chicken pox still has the virus in their system, flareups in older adulthood are typically more severe.

“They can cause very painful blisters. They also have some very severe complications,” Kural said, “and the pain that people experience with shingles can last for months and years after the infection.”

The province does not track the number of people hospitalized with shingles, nor the number of people who have gotten the vaccine at their own expense.

Tyndall Park MLA Cindy Lamoureux called for the province to cover the cost of the vaccine in question period on March 26, 2025. In a statement to Global News, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said, “Our government is listening to evolving public health and clinical expertise on how best to protect Manitobans from shingles and other diseases, and we’ll continue to reassess coverage as we learn more information.”

Avoiding a case of shingles is connected to other health benefits: a recently-published study found people vaccinated against shingles were 20 per cent less likely to develop dementia. The study analyzed health records of Welsh citizens, some of whom were never eligible for a shingles immunization, and others who were, determined by their date of birth.

Seniors advocacy organization CanAge CEO Laura Tamblyn Watts says it’s an exciting finding for Canada’s aging population.

“Anything that we can do that helps to prevent dementia is extraordinarily helpful, particularly since it also prevents you getting shingles,” she said.

Tamblyn Watts says covering the cost of the vaccine saves health-care systems money, and improves quality of life for seniors.

“Certainly seniors groups like ours are pressuring the government to make sure that they spend the amount of money to keep people safe and well and our hospitals under control, rather than downloading this NACI (National Advisory Council on Immunization)-recommended vaccine to seniors who are often on very fixed incomes,” she said.