Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Government plans to make the shingles vaccine available to everyone who requests it in the 70-79 age group.

We are committed to delivering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) recommendation on shingles immunisation. The vaccine is being offered routinely to those aged 70 years and to all those aged 71 to 79 years through a progressive catch-up.

In the first year of the programme, 2013/14, the vaccine was offered to all those aged 70 and 79 years old. In 2014/15 the vaccine was offered to all those aged 70, 78 and 79 years old and in 2015/16, the vaccine will be offered to those aged 70 and 78 years old.

General practitioners may also continue to offer immunisation to all those who have become eligible as 70 year olds from 1 September 2013 but have not yet been immunised.

This progressive programme will ensure that all those JCVI has recommended be vaccinated will be offered the vaccine.