Hawaii patients in search of a new shingles vaccine left waiting due to shortage

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A nationwide shortage of the newest shingles vaccine is leading to long delays and wait lists at some Hawaii pharmacies.

Because the new two-dose vaccine called Shingrix is said to be more than 90-percent effective at protecting people from the painful virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started recommending it over the old vaccine.

Because the manufacturer can't keep up with the demand, pharmacists at the 5 Minute Pharmacy in Kalihi say they've been out of stock since February.

"Currently between our stores, we have about 50 to 75 patients on a waitlist. I've heard some stores upwards of a hundred patients on their lists," said pharmacist Reid Nagata.

Nagata says they have patients calling every week asking if the Shingrix vaccine is in stock. He says others have canceled their prescriptions completely because they're tired of waiting.

"Latest that we've seen is the medication won't be released until early August at the very earliest. It's a painful disease. It can even lead to death, so there is a high need for the vaccine. People see their friends and family suffer, and they don't want to go through it," Nagata said.

Shingles is most common in people over the age of 50 and is triggered by a dormant chickenpox virus. The virus can cause severe nerve pain, rashes, and blisters. Factors like a weakened immune system and stress can increase your risk.

Kaneohe resident Tracy Larrua says she got shingles at the age of 53.

"I thought I had a pimple on the side of my head, then three days later, it kind of just took over my head," Larrua said.

Larrua says the pain was so excruciating, she's hoping to get the new vaccine to prevent it from coming back.

"It was full blown on the whole left quadrant of my head, under my hair, everything. It shut my eye down and I was out of commission for a couple of weeks. It took a year to heal," Larrua said.

Patients are concerned the delay in dosages will make the vaccine less effective.

It's recommended to take the 2nd dose within two to six months of the 1st, but the state health officials say there's no need to panic.

"If you're seven months, a year out, that's OK. It's more important that you get your 2nd dose," said Dr. Sarah Park,

The CDC says it anticipates limited orders and shipping delays of Shingrix will continue throughout the year, but the manufacturer has increased the U.S. supply and plans to release more doses.

"There's plenty of vaccine, it's just that the manufacturer is having a hard time keeping up with the unprecedented demand. It's just going to take time. It's not just Hawaii that's feeling it. It's across the nation," said Dr. Park.

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