300,000 Brits Now Eligible for Shingles Vaccination

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) recently confirmed that 300,000 people have become eligible for a shingles vaccination.

BMJ says shingles is caused when the varicella zoster virus, which reactivates, often decades after initial infection.

NHS England has announced that from September 1, 2025, immunosuppressed adults aged 18 to 49 will be newly eligible to receive the vaccine, marketed as Shingrix®.

The vaccine is currently available to people aged 65 to 79 and severely immunosuppressed people aged over 50. This group includes people with conditions such as leukaemia or lymphoma, or those who are undergoing chemotherapy.

The rollout to all severely immunosuppressed adults follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which found that the risk of hospitalisation from shingles or those resulting in post-herpetic neuralgia was similar in younger immunosuppressed age groups to those who were already eligible.

Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, commented in a press release, "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.

As of September 6, 2025, in the United States, this shingles vaccine is generally available at retail pharmacies.