Around 1.3 million older people who are not yet vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are being invited to book an appointment at their GP practice to have the jab.
NHS England has today issued a fresh appeal to older people and pregnant women to take up the RSV vaccine offer – warning that the virus is ‘not just a winter illness’.
Invites are this week being sent to those who are aged 75-79, or who turned 80 after 1 September 2024, who have not yet been vaccinated.
Pregnant women are also eligible for the vaccine from 28 weeks onwards and are being encouraged to speak to their maternity service or GP practice.
General practice nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland began rolling out the RSV vaccination programme last September, with a programme in Scotland beginning last August.
According to NHS England, almost 1.5 million people have received the vaccine so far, including over 1.3 million aged 75-80.
A recent study in the Lancet found that the first season vaccination could prevent up to 15,000 GP visits, 60,000 RSV illnesses in older adults and 2,500 hospital admissions.
Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccinations and screening, said: ‘RSV is not just a winter illness. We see cases increase in winter, but it can occur all year round and can make older people seriously ill, so it is vital everyone eligible gets vaccinated.’
He added that vaccines for RSV, Covid-19 and flu also protect against other respiratory infections, meaning it is especially important to have each vaccine when offered.
Over the winter months, health leaders have made several warnings over a significant rise in RSV, norovirus and flu across the NHS.
