The findings show that approximately 3 out of every 10 shingles patients aged 65 and older experience a recurrence of the disease. However, since the shingles vaccine is not included in the national immunization program, the survey found that one in four local governments does not provide financial support for it.
According to an analysis of data from the National Health Insurance Service conducted on October 4 by Rep. Kim Yoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, of the 75,103 patients treated for shingles in January 2022, 18,697 (24.9%) subsequently sought treatment for shingles again. Using this group as a reference, Rep. Kim tracked recurrence rates based on health insurance claims data through July of this year. A recurrence was defined as receiving treatment again more than one year after the initial diagnosis.
The recurrence rate increased with age. While it was only 8.37% for those in their 20s and younger, it rose to 18.07% for those in their 30s, 22.58% for those in their 40s, and 27.20% for those aged 60–64, peaking at 29.78% for those aged 75–79. Among the 25,500 patients aged 65 and older, 7,351 experienced a recurrence, resulting in a recurrence rate of 28.8%—3.9 percentage points higher than the overall rate.
When adjusted for population size, the difference was even greater. While the recurrence rate per 100,000 people was 36.2 for the general population, it exceeded 80 for those aged 65–69 (80.4), 70–74 (87.0), and 80–84 (86.5). For those aged 65 and older as a whole, the rate was 82.6 cases per 100,000 people—approximately 2.3 times the overall average.
Shingles is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which lies dormant in the body’s nerve ganglia and reactivates when immunity declines. The risk of developing shingles increases with age, and the likelihood of complications—such as postherpetic neuralgia—also rises.
In a 2023 study on priority rankings for the introduction of national vaccination programs, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) evaluated disease burden, vaccine efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness, and ranked the live attenuated shingles vaccine for those aged 70 and older as the fourth priority. However, the shingles vaccine is not yet included in the national immunization program and is therefore left to the discretion of local governments.
According to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, among the 230 local governments nationwide this year, 175 (76.1%) provided support for vaccinations on their own, while 55 (23.9%) did not. By region, support rates were particularly low in Busan, where only 4 out of 16 local governments (25%) provided support, and in Daegu, where only 1 out of 9 (11.1%) did so. In contrast, all local governments in North Jeolla, North Chungcheong, Gangwon, Jeju, and Sejong provided support. The age groups covered also varied: 121 local governments (69.1%) provided support for those aged 65 and older, followed by 23 for those aged 50 and older, and 19 for those aged 60 and older. Selective support—providing assistance only to certain groups, such as recipients of basic livelihood security benefits and those in the next-lowest income bracket—was offered by 94 local governments, while 81 provided support to the entire population within the specified age group.
Representative Kim Yoon stated, “The recurrence rate for patients aged 65 and older was found to be 28.8%, and the number of recurrences per 100,000 people was 2.3 times the overall rate, confirming that the burden of recurrence among the elderly is significant,” and “We must actively consider introducing a national vaccination program to reduce the disease burden on the elderly and bridge the gap in support between regions,” he emphasized.
