Shingles vaccinations surge more than fifteenfold at capital clinics

Shingles vaccinations at the Capital Area Health Care Service have risen more than fifteenfold so far this year compared with all of last year, mbl.is reports. A total of 3,168 people had been vaccinated by the end of October, up from 209 in 2025.

The health service operates 15 clinics, and the number vaccinated elsewhere in the country is expected to be higher. More than 300 people received the vaccine in July, and 926 had been vaccinated in October by the week of the report.

Shingles is caused by the same herpes virus as chickenpox and usually appears as a rash in a limited area of the body. The Directorate of Health substantially increased the supply of the vaccine this summer after it had been difficult to obtain in Iceland for an extended period. The vaccine is inactivated and contains an adjuvant, which strengthens its effect, and has been shown to protect against shingles for years.

The Directorate of Health recommends vaccination for people over 60. Sigríður Dóra Magnúsdóttir, chief executive of the Capital Area Health Care Service, said increased reimbursement had made the vaccination more accessible, although it still costs just over 50,000 Icelandic krónur.

Some of the increased interest may be linked to indications that people who receive the shingles vaccine have a lower risk of developing dementia. Magnúsdóttir said this could be an incentive, but that the possible effect on dementia remains to be seen. She noted that shingles and its complications can be particularly difficult for older people.