Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccination Programme
From 1 September 2024, those who turn 75 and those aged 75 to 79 will be eligible for a free vaccine to protect them from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This is separate and in addition to the winter flu and COVID vaccination programmes.
RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms like a cold, including:
- cough
- sore throat
- sneezing
- a runny or blocked nose
It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions. There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. Every year thousands of older adults need hospital care for RSV, and some of them will sadly die from it. RSV can be more severe in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.
RSV infection is also common in young children but is most serious for small babies and for older people.
Eligibility for the RSV vaccination
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.
If you are not yet 75, the NHS will invite you for vaccination when you turn 75.
Invitations
The surgery will contact you if you’re eligible.
The RSV vaccines will be administered first, with flu and COVID boosters following soon after, please do not contact us to book these as yet, we will invite you as soon as the clinic dates are available.
For more information about the vaccine, side effects and the programme please visit: