Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility for the respiratory syncytial virus vaccination to include people aged over 80, clinical risk groups, and immunocompromised populations.

During the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) meeting of 5 February 2025, the Department confirmed that any extension to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme, including to those aged 80 years old and above as well as other groups, would require an impact and cost effectiveness analysis.

Based on the burden data and the real-world studies, the JCVI considered that extending the programme required more evidence on the duration of protection, and how this might impact cost effectiveness.

The JCVI met again on 4 June 2025 and RSV was one of the agenda items discussed. Minutes of the JCVI’s meetings are usually published within six weeks, and are publicly available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.

The committee keeps all vaccine programmes under review and will continue to update its advice as new evidence emerges. The Department will consider any future JCVI advice on who should be offered an RSV immunisation.