Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to gather additional data on the (a) effectiveness and (b) safety of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccination in people that are over 80.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) undertakes monitoring and evaluation of immunisation programmes, including the effectiveness of vaccines. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) monitors vaccine safety. The UKHSA and the MHRA are in regular contact with manufacturers over new and emerging data from their products.

Evidence of effectiveness and safety in relevant age groups in the United States of America, which implemented older adult vaccination a season ahead of the United Kingdom, was used to inform the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVIs) considerations on extending the UK programme to adults aged 80 years old and older. The JCVI’s meeting minutes and statement of 16 July 2025 advising an extension to the UK respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation

The JCVI keeps the RSV programme under regular review. Evidence on the safety and effectiveness of RSV vaccines in all age groups in all countries where data has been made available is used to inform JCVI advice.