The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,
Declares that extending the eligibility criteria for the free Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccine and the Singles vaccine dose to individuals who are 80 years of age or older would bring considerable health benefits; notes that the former illness can cause acute respiratory infection, influenza-like illness, community-acquired pneumonia and lead to death and the latter illness can caused decreased vision or permanent blindness; and notes that vaccine doses for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Shingles virus are recommended to all individuals 80 years of age and over in the United States of America and in the European Union.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take into account the concerns of the petitioners and take immediate action to seek a reallocation of funds to ensure that the provision of the free Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccine dose and Shingles vaccine dose is extended to those individuals who are 80 years of age or older.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Bambos Charalambous, Official Report, 13 February 2025; Vol. 762, c. 478.]
[P003045]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ashley Dalton):
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is the UK’s expert committee that advises the Government on immunisation programmes. While the JCVI notes what takes place in other countries, its advice is specific to the UK.
In November 2024, the JCVI provided advice to the Government on eligibility for the shingles vaccination programme. This included advice that the Government should consider expanding the shingles vaccination offer to include older adult cohorts aged 80 years old and over. The Government will consider this advice when setting the policy on who should be offered shingles vaccinations and will update in due course.
The introduction of an RSV vaccination programme for adults aged 75 to 79 years was informed by JCVI advice. The JCVI considered that there was less certainty about how well the vaccine works in people aged 80 years and older, as there were not enough people of this age in the clinical trials to be able to see if the vaccines are protective in this age band.
At its October 2024 main committee meeting, the JCVI agreed that it would need to formally review the evidence for a potential extension to the programme for the very elderly and for those in risk groups. RSV was also discussed at the JCVI meeting on 5 February 2025. Minutes are usually published within six weeks of the meeting.
The Government will continue to take account of JCVI advice when setting immunisation policy.