Proposal to Extend Subsides for Shingles Vaccination to Those Aged 50-59 as Dementia Prevention Measure

30 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health given findings that shingles vaccination reduces dementia, including the May 2025 Nature study showing Zostavax causally reduces diagnoses by 20% and the July 2024 Nature Medicine study showing Shingrix is associated with 164 added dementia-free days, whether the Ministry will (i) include dementia prevention savings into cost-benefit analyses for shingles vaccines and (ii) consider extending shingles vaccine subsidies to persons aged 50-59.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: The two cited studies are based on observational data that suggest a potential association between shingles vaccination and reduced risk of dementia. Additional research is required to establish causality and the underlying biological mechanisms, to determine the vaccine's effect on dementia risk. The Ministry of Health will continue to monitor the emergence of such scientific evidence. In the meantime, we will maintain the age criterion for Shingles vaccination subsidies, on the basis that the incidence of shingles rises steeply after age 60, approximately three to four times that of individuals aged 50 to 59 years.