HN Summary
• Adult vaccination supports healthy aging, helping older Canadians remain healthy, independent and active in the workforce.
• Significant immunization gaps remain, with only 39% of Canadians over 50 vaccinated against shingles despite national recommendations.
• Closing these gaps could deliver major economic benefits, reducing healthcare costs and improving productivity while preventing illness.
Canada’s population is aging fast. While aging well is fundamental to individual well-being, with Canadians aged 55 and older accounting for about 20 per cent of the labour force and the average retirement age now 65.3, four years higher than it was just two decades ago, healthy aging has also become an important factor for the country’s economic prosperity.
Adults aged 50 and older make up almost 40 per cent of the population and as Canadians live and work longer, prevention becomes more important than ever. Vaccination remains one of our most effective tools to support healthy ageing.
When people are in good health, they are better able to remain independent, contribute in the workforce, and stay active in their communities. Yet gaps persist between National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendations and publicly funded vaccination coverage, creating unequal protection for older Canadians across the country.
Shingles provides a great example, affecting 1 in 3 Canadians in their lifetime. NACI recommends shingles vaccination for adults aged 50 and older. Despite this recommendation being in place for almost a decade, just 39 per cent of Canadians over 50 are vaccinated. Only 7 out of the 13 provinces and territories have a publicly funded shingles immunization program for older adults, and eligibility varies among those that do.
Shingles can be incredibly disruptive and even debilitating – with many experiencing intense burning pain, fatigue, and having to step away from work and daily life. A 2012 study by researchers out of Quebec found that people lose an average of 58 productive hours to absenteeism and presenteeism in the first six months of having shingles. To a greater extent, those who develop post-herpetic neuralgia – the most common complication, causing persistent and severe nerve pain – lose 159 hours.
A recent report from Signal49 Research highlighted that vaccinating 80 per cent of Canadians aged 50 and older against shingles would provide a return on investment of 1.69. This means that for every dollar spent on publicly funded shingles vaccination, there is a corresponding benefit of $1.69 through health and productivity benefits. This equates to $816 million in savings to the healthcare system through things like avoided visits to primary care providers and emergency departments; $1.5 billion in productivity gains by enabling continuous work, volunteerism, and caregiving; and $4.2 billion in health benefits from reduced illnesses and maintaining quality of life.
A Prevention-Focused Future
Despite clear benefits, adult immunization is often underutilized. Too often, public adult vaccination programs are underfunded and do not align with NACI recommendations—creating real health consequences, avoidable economic impacts, and critical equity barriers. When public funding falls short, out-of-pocket costs become a noted barrier to vaccination uptake, putting protection out of reach for many Canadians.
Vaccination is a strategic investment with benefits that go beyond healthcare savings, preventing illness and suffering and helping to strengthen workforce productivity and the economy. Health system leaders and health care professionals can help support healthy aging goals for Canadians by integrating vaccination into preventive care planning and proactively engaging patients in discussions about risk and immunization options for shingles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Maaike de Vries, Senior Research Associate, Health, Signal49 Research