Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination
(asked on 29th June 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of eligibility criteria for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccination programme for adults with serious underlying respiratory conditions, including pulmonary fibrosis; and whether his Department plans to review those criteria to allow access based on clinical risk.
In line with independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), year-round respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults aged 75 to 79 years old and those subsequently turning 75 years old.
When advising on the introduction of the RSV programmes, the JCVI said that an extension to the initial programmes would be considered when there was more certainty about protection for patients at higher risk of severe illness from RSV. Following further JCVI advice in June 2025, the older adult programme was expanded to also include those aged 80 years old and over and all residents in a care home for older adults from 1 April 2026.
At its main committee meeting of 2 February 2026, the JCVI reviewed the latest data on RSV vaccination in those with underlying health conditions. The committee advised that adults aged 65 to 74 years old with chronic respiratory disease or immunosuppression due to disease or treatment should also be offered RSV vaccination. A link to the full JCVI statement of 18 March 2026 is available at the following link:
On 1 July 2026, the Department accepted the latest JCVI advice and confirmed that these groups will be eligible for RSV vaccination in England from 1 September 2026. This includes people aged 65 to 74 years old with pulmonary fibrosis, which falls under the chronic respiratory disease group. The Written Ministerial Statement announcing this change is available at the following link:
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-07-01/hcws170
This is a fast-moving area with new data emerging on a frequent basis, and so the JCVI will continue to keep evidence under review. The Department will consider any further JCVI advice on who should be offered an RSV immunisation in due course.