BC United promises to make shingles vaccine free for B.C. residents 50 and older

A BC United government would make the shingles vaccine available at no cost to British Columbians ages 50 and older, party leader Kevin Falcon announced Saturday.

The announcement follows a report from B.C.'s new seniors advocate Dan Levitt that recommended such a move earlier this week. 

The National Advisory Committee on Vaccination recommends the shingles vaccine for all Canadians 50 and older, but the B.C. government under the NDP has so far opted not to cover the cost, which is about $160 per dose, according to BC United.

"BC United will ensure all seniors receive the health care they deserve, and introduce a program to provide, at no cost, the shingles vaccine, which can prevent a painful and debilitating illness," Falcon said in a statement Saturday.

The party notes that one in three Canadians will develop shingles in their lifetime, and that vaccination is publicly covered in Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and Prince Edward Island, as well as the Yukon and Northwest Territories.

"At a time when one in five British Columbians don’t have access to a family doctor, this program would also importantly result in eliminating hundreds of thousands of physician visits for shingles cases each year," Falcon added, while noting that the party would pay for the change with "a simple rollback of the millions of taxpayers dollars that have flooded into the now bloated Premier's Office" under the NDP.

Saturday's announcement was the BC United leader's second policy promise of the week, as he looks to change the narrative around the party after the high-profile defections of former caucus chair Lorne Doerkson and Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko to the BC Conservatives. 

On Thursday, Falcon unveiled his party's plan to "fix" the NDP's $10-a-day child care promise with direct subsidies to families and tax credits for parents or grandparents who provide care from home.

• Read more: BC United rolls out child-care plan promising to 'fix' NDP's $10-a-day promise

If polling is accurate, Falcon will need a significant shift in voter sentiment if he wants to have a chance to implement his policies.

For the last few months, polls have shown BC United in a distant third place in vote intention in the province, with the BC Conservatives emerging as the closest competitor to the NDP.

The next B.C. provincial election must be held on or before Oct. 19.