Subsidy Programs for Herpes Zoster Vaccination in Japanese Municipalities

As of 2024, herpes zoster (HZ) vaccination for older adults was not included in Japan's routine vaccination program. Two types of HZ vaccines are currently available at the individual's expense. In this study, we surveyed program details for HZ vaccination in Japanese municipalities. We further explored the subsidy amount and the percentage of newly vaccinated individuals among target populations who were vaccinated by local governments under the subsidy. In June 2023, we mailed the questionnaire to 56 municipalities about HZ vaccine subsidy programs in fiscal year 2022. Information on the details of the subsidy program and the number of subsidies provided in each municipality was summarized. Fifty responses were collected from 56 municipalities (response rate: 89.3%). Across the 49 municipalities, 2 types of vaccines were subsidized in 39. The program's subsidy amount differed by vaccine type. The median subsidy amount, including the estimated amount for the freeze-dried live-attenuated varicella zoster vaccine, was JPY 4000 (USD 32), and for the recombinant zoster vaccine, it was JPY 20000 (USD 159). The average percentage of those who were vaccinated under the subsidy program in fiscal year 2022 was 2.97%. The diffusion of the local subsidy policy for the vaccination of older adults against HZ occurred in fiscal year 2022 in Japan. A higher subsidy amount may have driven the choice for the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV), and in the 1st year of the program, individuals who proactively sought vaccination may have been vaccinated.