Everyone turning 75 years old on or after the 1 September 2024 will be offered a single dose of RSV vaccine. This is because older adults are more at risk of serious complications from RSV. You can still get the vaccine up to the day before you turn 80.
For the first year of the programme, the vaccine will also be offered to those who are already aged 75 to 79 years on 1 September 2024 as part of a catch up programme. For maximum protection this vaccine should ideally be administered one month prior to your flu vaccine. You may have your shingles and pneumococcal vaccine at the same time as your RSV vaccine so do please ask the nurse at your appointment if your are eligible.
RSV vaccine is now part of our core vaccination programme so we will be inviting those eligible by text self book in the coming weeks, Our flu vaccine appointments are available and we have ordered a flu vaccine for you. You can either book when in practice attending for your RSV vaccine or wait for the self-book invite link that we will shortly be sending you. We will of course, aim to contact all patients without a mobile telephone on their home line or, you may ring the practice to book if you have not received an invite but feel you are eligible for either RSV vaccine or flu vaccine.
For more information please review the government information.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccination-for-older-adults/your-guide-to-the-rsv-vaccine-for-older-adults
Pregnant women are also being offered the vaccine to protect their babies from RSV. You can read the guide to the RSV vaccine for pregnant women https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-maternal-vaccination/a-guide-to-rsv-vaccination-for-pregnant-women