Pharmac announced, in February, it was looking to extend funded access to Shingrix, the new vaccination for shingles, to immunocompromised people over 18 years old. However, the proposal listed specific treatments and conditions eligible.
While we were pleased to see people who are pre- or post-haematopoietic stem cell transplant included, we were disappointed that MS DMT’s were not. While not all DMTs are immunosuppressive, some are at varying degrees and times.
Together, MSNZ and Drs Jennifer Pereira, Deborah Mason and Zoe Dyer wrote on behalf of the MS patient and clinical communities to call on Pharmac to widen their proposed criteria to include people with MS, particularly those on immunosuppressive therapies.