A change in guidance now means that a greater number of people are eligible for Shingles Vaccinations.
From 1 September 2023, all newly eligible individuals will be offered 2 doses of the non-live shingles vaccine Shingrix®. In addition to this, the eligibility for both the immunocompromised and immunocompetent cohorts will change to allow individuals to be protected at an earlier age.
Although shingles can occur at any age, the risk and severity of shingles and its complications increases with age and is high in individuals who are immunosuppressed. It is important to ensure that those at greatest risk are vaccinated at an earlier age and this forms the basis of the JCVI recommendations.
The eligible age for immunocompetent individuals will change from 70 to 60 years of age for the routine cohort, in a phased implementation over a 10-year period.
Initially, Shingrix® will be offered to those turning 70 and 65 years on or after 1 September 2023. The second dose should be given 6 to 12 months after the first dose.
Immunocompromised individuals represent the highest priority for vaccination given their risk of severe disease, and therefore the programme aims to catch up all immunocompromised individuals aged 50 years and over in the first year of the programme implementation. The second dose should be given 8 weeks to 6 months after the first dose for this cohort.
Eligible patients will receive invitations for this vaccine once the Flu and Covid programme has been completed.