Alex Yeo Sheng Chye, MP for Potong Pasir SMC, wants to secure additional shingles vaccination subsidies for seniors in the constituency by early next year. This will protect them from the painful effects of the condition.
Mr Yeo, a lawyer by profession, told Petir that since becoming an MP, he has encouraged seniors in the constituency to get their shingles vaccine.
What he did not expect was to contract shingles himself in late July.
“One of the running jokes in the community is that after advising so many seniors in Potong Pasir to get their shingles vaccine, I did not follow my own advice and got shingles myself,” Mr Yeo said.
“But there’s a silver lining: now that I’ve experienced shingles firsthand, I can serve as a living example to our residents of what getting shingles is all about.”
Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. The same virus that causes chickenpox, varicella-zoster, is also what triggers shingles. The most common symptom is severe, burning nerve pain that can last for weeks.
Mr Yeo recalled that when he had shingles, the pain was so severe he could not sleep.
“I was just walking up and down my room at night. So painful. I was on three types of painkillers. It still doesn’t work,” he shared.
He pointed out that the varicella-zoster virus can reactivate within the nerves as people age, fall seriously ill, or experience low immunity.
“Shingles causes painful and debilitating symptoms. Older people with existing medical conditions face even greater danger when shingles reactivates. If it appears on your head and affects your optic nerves, it can cause blindness,” he cautioned.
More than nine in 10 people in Singapore aged 50 years or older carry the varicella-zoster virus. An estimated 30,000 people in Singapore suffer from shingles each year, and the illness can occur more than once.
Those with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease face a higher risk of severe complications from shingles, including stroke and heart attack.
Mr Yeo noted that the Shingrix vaccine protects against shingles and requires a two-dose course.
The government already subsidises the shingles vaccine under the National Adult Immunisation Schedule for citizens aged 60 and above.
Subsidised costs vary by eligibility: Pioneer Generation seniors pay $38 per dose ($76 for both doses), Merdeka Generation and CHAS blue and orange cardholders pay $75 per dose ($150 for both doses). CHAS green cardholders and non-CHAS cardholders pay $300 total.
Mr Yeo said that Potong Pasir seniors aged 60 and above can enjoy an additional subsidy of $30 per dose. This means seniors in Potong Pasir SMC will receive $60 in total for the two-dose shingles vaccination.
“Elderly residents have told me that shingles vaccines cost significantly more than other vaccines. By pooling our resources, we hope to subsidise shingles vaccination for seniors, enabling more of them to benefit from the vaccine and avoid contracting shingles and experiencing its effects,” he said.
The additional shingles vaccination subsidies initiative is part of a ground-up community preventive healthcare programme that Mr Yeo and his team has launched in Potong Pasir for seniors since October last year. It focuses on brain and bone health.
Subsidised bone density test helps Potong Pasir seniors
As a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, Mr Yeo has strongly advocated for preventive healthcare for seniors.
During the 2025 parliamentary debate on the President’s Address, Mr Yeo has urged the government to expand the Healthier SG programme. His proposals include screening for pre-dementia, bone density tests, fully subsidised shingles vaccinations, and other areas of preventive healthcare.
Several years ago, when Mr Yeo chaired the PAP Paya Lebar division, his team managed to organise fully subsidised flu and pneumococcal vaccinations for seniors there and provided screenings for pre-dementia and osteoporosis.
Earlier this year, Mr Yeo and his team started offering subsidised bone density tests for seniors in Potong Pasir. The test normally costs approximately $560 and includes pre-consultation, the scan and review. However, elderly residents in Potong Pasir pay only $60, with the programme fully subsidising the remaining $500.
Seniors are prone to falls and often sustain fractures due to brittle bones, Mr Yeo noted. Their health then deteriorates, and some pass away.
“We decided that elderly residents should receive early bone density tests to discover any bone health issues,” he said. “If they need supplements to strengthen their bones, they can return to the polyclinic system, which is much cheaper for them.”
As of August, 100 seniors have benefitted from the programme. Mr Yeo said his team continues to reach out and encourage seniors to sign up for the bone density test, with a target of 300 participants by the end of next year.
They are hoping to offer the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to Potong Pasir elderly residents in the second half of 2027, Mr Yeo said. Doctors use the MoCA as a screening tool to check for memory loss and early signs of cognitive impairment.
Mr Yeo’s team collaborated with geriatrician Dr Carol Tan to conduct cognitive assessments at Paya Lebar constituency. More than half of the 3,000 residents who completed the assessment showed mild to severe cognitive impairment.
Based on these results, residents can learn how to improve their health. For example, if their cognitive impairment is vascular in nature rather than Alzheimer’s Disease, they may have a B12 deficiency that can be addressed with supplements.
“Pre-dementia screening and bone density tests allow for early detection and timely intervention, which can slow down the progression,” he added. “They also enable better long-term planning, giving our seniors and their families the time and opportunity to make necessary adjustments.”
