The Department of Health introduced the national shingles immunisation programme for people aged 70 to 79 to help protect those age groups who are most at risk from shingles and its complications.
The national shingles immunisation programme is recommended for people aged 70 to 79, but is being introduced in phases. If you are eligible your GP surgery may contact you and ask you to book an appointment. You can also proactively ask your healthcare professional about the programme if you think you may be eligible.
Vaccination is currently being offered to those who are aged 70, 78 and 79, and to anyone in their seventies who was born after 1st September 1942. People who are in their seventies but are not yet eligible for vaccination, will be offered vaccination in future years under the national programme.
People under 70 will be eligible for the shingles vaccine from their seventieth birthday. People aged 80 and over are not part of the national programme because the vaccine seems to be less effective in this age group.
Like all vaccines and medicines, vaccines are associated with certain side effects, although not everybody gets them. Further information can be found in the patient information leaflets available at
www.medicines.org.uk/emc/PIL.25928.latest.pdf
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