The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) previously recommended that the universal shingles vaccination programme should be updated to offer 2 doses of Shingrix® at 60 years of age. This was to replace the previous programme which offered Zostavax® at 70 years of age. JCVI also recommended offering 2 doses of Shingrix® to severely immunosuppressed individuals aged 50 years and older.
During 2024 JCVI have formed further advice for the vaccination of additional cohorts who remain at risk from severe shingles disease and resulting post-herpetic neuralgia.
JCVI advises that Shingrix® programme eligibility should be expanded to include all severely immunosuppressed adults aged 18 years and over.
JCVI advises that the offer of vaccination should also expanded to include older adult cohorts aged 80 and over. There is a clear cost-effective benefit from offering a single dose of Shingrix® to this age group.
JCVI considers that there is likely to be additional benefit from a second dose offered to adults over the age of 80 years for the prevention of cases of shingles and secondary outcomes such as post-herpetic neuralgia. Should Shingrix® be available at the cost-effective price determined for the second dose, a 2-dose programme should be offered for adults aged 80 years and older. This would also bring the offer in line with the other groups offered Shingrix®.
The long-term vaccine effectiveness from a single dose of Shingrix® in adults aged 80 years and over is still uncertain.
Individuals should be eligible regardless of whether they have previously been eligible for, or have been vaccinated with, Zostavax®.
- Recommendation
- Europe
- United Kingdom
- Herpes zoster
