Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to increase the availability of the shingles vaccine.

The shingles vaccine is readily available to those eligible for the shingles programme via their general practices. Eligibility includes anyone aged between 70 and 80 years old, and those who turned 65 years old on or after 1 September 2023. The shingles vaccine is also available for those aged 50 years old and over, who are at significant risk of severe complications. The eligibility criteria and the expansion of the programme is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and there are no plans to review the age criteria for the shingles programme.