CANBERRA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has announced it will fund free shingles vaccines for the elderly and immunocompromised.

Mark Butler, the minister for health, 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.

Previously, a two-course shot of Shingrix, which provides up to 10 years of protection against shingles, cost Australians up to 560 AUD (355.4 USD) and was only available to those older than 50.

Also known as herpes zoster, shingles causes painful, blistering rashes on one side of a patient's face or body that last 10 to 15 days and up to 20 percent of cases develop post-herpetic neuralgia, severe nerve pain that can be permanent.

"Without vaccination, almost one in three Australians will get shingles in their lifetime," Butler said in a statement, "This investment will ensure nearly 5 million Australians can get free protection from shingles and the very painful nerve damage that it causes."

The Shingrix vaccine will replace Zostavax on the NIP on the advice of the independent Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). Enditem

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