Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of offering shingles vaccines to everyone aged 60 and over.

From September 2023, the routine shingles vaccination programme changed from the Zostavax vaccine to the more effective two dose Shingrix vaccine, to better protect individuals from the effects of shingles, provide better clinical outcomes, and reduce pressures on the health system. As a result, almost 1 million more people became eligible for the shingles vaccination.

When a vaccination programme is expanded, decisions must be made regarding who to offer the vaccine to first. These decisions are based on advice given by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), and include evidence on the impact of the vaccine in different age groups as well as the capacity of the National Health Service to deliver the vaccination programme alongside other important healthcare priorities.

The expansion of the shingles programme currently includes those turning 65 years old on or after 1 September 2023, as well as those aged 50 years old and over who are at increased risk of serious complications. Phasing the roll-out of the shingles vaccination over time to everyone 60 years old and over is in line with the JCVI’s recommendation and maximises cost effectiveness and population benefit, ensures consistent messaging over time to maximise coverage, and takes account of NHS capacity, all while being consistent with the approach taken by all four nations in the United Kingdom. This is a newly expanded programme and anyone unsure if they are eligible for the shingles vaccination should check online, on the NHS.UK website, or should speak to their general practice.