Shingles Action Week 2026

Shingles Action Week (SAW) 2026, taking place from 23 February to 1 March, aims to raise awareness of shingles as a vaccine-preventable disease and to encourage informed action across Canada. As the population ages, herpes zoster (shingles) represents a growing public health concern, particularly for adults aged 50 and older, who face the highest risk and burden of disease. Shingles can lead to significant complications, including bacterial skin infections, postherpetic neuralgia, and, in some cases, hearing or vision impacts.

Through this campaign, the International Federation on Ageing seeks to strengthen understanding of shingles risk and the importance of prevention, including vaccination, while supporting individuals, communities, and stakeholders to engage and take action. Shingles Awareness Week 2026 also aims to advance tangible steps to improve access, uptake, and equity in shingles vaccination across Canada, including progress toward public funding in all provinces and territories aligned with National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendations.

Downloadable Resources

View, download and share these resources to help create awareness about Shingles.

Click here to access the Civil Society Organization Toolkit to support your awareness activities and help share key messages with your community.

Click here to download the official press release to learn more about Shingles Action Week 2026.

Watch lived experiences videos highlighting real experiences that underscore the importance of shingles awareness.
* For ready-to-use social media snippets to accompany this video, please contact communications@ifa.ngo.

Brent, 64, immunocompromised.

As part of our #ShinglesActionWeek series, Brent, 64 and immunocompromised, opens up about his personal experience with shingles in this first of two conversations.

Click here to watch the video and learn why shingles awareness matters.

In part two of Brent’s story, he reflects on the ongoing impact shingles had on his health and why he believes awareness is so important — especially for people who are immunocompromised.

Click here to hear the rest of Brent’s experience.

Sarah, 63, affected by shingles.

Having experienced shingles firsthand, Sarah shares why vaccination plays an important role in safeguarding long-term health.

Click here to watch the video and learn why shingles awareness matters.

Download ready-to-use social media tiles and help spread awareness by sharing them with your network and community. Click on each image to access and download the high-resolution file for sharing.