AN elderly woman from Evesham contracted shingles just weeks after being told she was too old to have a vaccination against the illness.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous is aged 81. Her daughter said more needed to be done to look after older people in the wake of the health scare.

She said her mother contacted the Riverside Surgery in Evesham after hearing about the vaccination but she did not qualify for the immunisation.

The shingles vaccination programme, which began in September, is offered to people aged 70 and 79.

The woman’s daughter said the vaccination should be offered to a wider age group. “They don’t have enough of the vaccine. I think it is atrocious the elderly are being treated in this way. That’s absolutely disgusting.

“We need to be looking after our own. Her partner wasn’t allowed the vaccination even after my mum’s diagnosis. She has been left housebound and in absolute agony.”

She was also unhappy that her mum was diagnosed with the illness, which can be very serious for adults, over the telephone.

“I think they are very reluctant to be totally candid so this may have been what’s happened but why at any stage hasn’t she been asked to go into the doctors. When she was seen they were brilliant at the surgery.”

A spokesperson from Public Health England explained how the vaccination is given out.

“Due to limited vaccine supply from the manufacturer it has only been possible to offer the vaccine to two year groups in the first year of the programme.

“As those who are currently aged 79 years, will no longer be eligible for the vaccine next year, the fairest approach is to offer the vaccine to these individuals this year to ensure they do not miss out.

“Over the coming years, based on supplies of the vaccine, all individuals aged between 70 and 79 years will be offered the vaccine as soon as practically possible.”

The doctor surgery said they could not comment on individual cases but that they could not go outside set guidelines.