Australian GPs can now order the recombinant herpes zoster vaccine Shingrix, but patients might have to pay a hefty sum for the two-dose course as it’s not yet on the National Immunisation Program.

The vaccine was approved in Australia in 2018 for prevention of shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia in patients aged 50 or older but has not been marketed or supplied by its sponsor, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), until now.

The company flagged earlier this year it would offer the vaccine on the private market and on Tuesday announced the vaccine had been released in Australia — at a cost of up to $600 for the two-dose course.

Approval for National Immunisation Program (NIP) listing was “realistically” not expected until about 2024, a GSK spokesperson said.