Thousands more patients now able to get vaccine against 'painful infection' - are you eligible?
Around 300,000 more people will be able to get the shingles vaccine 💉
- The shingles vaccine will now be offered to more than 300,000 more patients.
- The NHS have changed the criteria for who is eligible.
- Those who are eligible will be able to book in for their vaccine from September 1.
Around 300,000 more people will become eligible for a potentially lifesaving shingles vaccination from next week.
The criteria for who can get a shingles vaccine are changing, with thousands of those most at risk now being protected.
One in five people will develop shingles in their lifetime. While most people make a full recovery, it can cause serious complications, including post-herpetic neuralgia, eye problems, pneumonia, hepatitis, and inflammation of the brain.
What is shingles?
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox. After you catch chickenpox, the virus will lie dormant in your body, with Shingles usually occurring decades after the initial chickenpox infection.
You can't get shingles if you've never had chickenpox; however, if you have shingles, you can pass chickenpox onto someone who has never had chickenpox.
What are the symptoms of shingles?
The first symptoms of shingles can be a headache or feeling generally unwell, and a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin. A rash will often appear a few days later, appearing on the chest or stomach, but it can appear anywhere on your body.
Who is eligible for the shingles vaccine?
The shingles vaccine is currently available to people aged 65 to 79 and those severely immunosuppressed over 50 years of age. From September 1, this will change to include all severely immunosuppressed adults aged 18 years and over.
This includes people with conditions such as leukaemia or lymphoma, or those who are undergoing chemotherapy, which puts them at greater risk of becoming seriously unwell if they contract shingles.
Those who are severely immunosuppressed will now be offered two doses of the non-live shingles vaccine, Shingrix®, with the second dose given eight weeks to six months after the first dose.
If you meet the new criteria, you will be able to book a vaccine appointment with your GP surgery, with practices starting to contact people over the coming weeks.
Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said: “Shingles can be seriously debilitating for older people and those with a severely weakened immune system, so following the latest expert guidance, the NHS is now expanding the potentially lifesaving jab to all severely immunosuppressed adults.
“The vaccine is safe and effective and significantly reduces the chance of developing shingles and becoming seriously unwell, so I’d urge anyone newly eligible to come forward for their protection as soon as possible.
“The NHS will be contacting you to let you know you are eligible, but you can also make a booking through your local GP – and even if you’ve had shingles before, you can develop it again so please still come forward for the offer”.
You can find out more about shingles symptoms and the vaccine at NHS.UK.