Shortage of new shingles vaccine also present in Pacific Northwest

Washington state and the rest of the Pacific Northwest are no exception to the nationwide shortage of the newer vaccine, Shingrix, that protects adults against shingles, a condition that causes a painful, blistery rash.

Heightened public awareness of shingles and an improved vaccine led to the shortage announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this summer, according to internist Saima Ahmad of WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine in Spokane.

When Shingrix became available this year, supply could not keep up with demand, leading to inventory shortages at pharmacies...