Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on the introduction of a call and re-call system for the uptake of vaccinations for shingles.

Immunisations play a critical role in preventative healthcare and in promoting health and well-being across the life course, particularly in older adults when protection against shingles is so important.

The NHS Long Term Plan announced a review of general practitioner (GP) vaccination and immunisation standards, funding and procurement, which commenced in April 2019. One of the purposes of the review is to clarify what is expected of call/recall for all immunisations provided as part of the national programme, which includes shingles. Recommendations from the Review will be implemented through the GP contract where appropriate, following current negotiations.