Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the phased rollout of shingles vaccination for adults aged 60 years and over on health inequalities, including differences in access and uptake across socioeconomic and geographic groups.

The phased roll-out of the shingles vaccination programme down to age 60 is being implemented in line with the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and was agreed as a means of maximising population benefit and cost-effectiveness, whilst taking account of National Health Service delivery capacity. Shingles vaccination uptake is closely monitored at national and commissioning region levels.

With regards to the JCVI's advice to expand the programme to adults aged 80 years and over, I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 30 June in response to Question 3226, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.

The Government is considering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on shingles vaccinations, examining factors including clinical benefits, affordability and cost effectiveness.

No decision has yet been taken on any expansion of the existing shingles vaccination programme to include adults aged 80 years old or over.

For any routine vaccination programme which the Government decides to implement, efforts to introduce or expand the programme are determined by factors including availability of supply, contractual arrangement on supply, affordability, workforce capacity and impact on other programmes.