The rollout of the RSV vaccine starts from 1 September
Adults aged between 65 and 74 years in certain clinical at risk groups are to be offered the RSV jab (Image: Getty)
NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have confirmed a major vaccine rollout for older adults from today, September 1. The NHS Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination programme is being expanded this year, to include adults aged 65 to 74 years in certain clinical at risk groups.
The RSV vaccine has been routinely available to older adults as they turn 75 since September 2024 and was later extended to include all adults aged 80 and over, as well as all residents in care homes in April 2026. But a further expansion announced earlier this year will see the eligibility criteria extended to include adults aged 65 to 74 years following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
NHS England and the UKHSA confirmed the RSV vaccine expansion in July, stating that GPs will offer the jab to those who are eligible from Tuesday, September 1.
RSV is a common cause of coughs and colds and while it usually gets better by itself, it can cause severe illness for babies and older adults over the age of 75.
Those who are infected with RSV typically experience cold-like symptoms including a runny or blocked nose, a cough, sneezing, tiredness and a high temperature, but it can also lead to more serious infections like pneumonia or bronchiolitis.
The RSV vaccination is available on the NHS for free to eligible groups, which can help reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill from the infection. You can currently get the jab if:
- you’re 28 weeks pregnant or more
- you’re aged 75 or over
- you live in a care home for older adults
But from September 1, 2026, adults aged 65 to 74 and in either of the following clinical at risk groups will become eligible to get the RSV vaccine:
1. Chronic respiratory disease including those with:
- poorly controlled asthma
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema
- bronchiectasis
- cystic fibrosis
- interstitial lung fibrosis
- pneumoconiosis
- bronchopulmonary dysplasia
2. Immunosuppression due to disease or treatment.
Confirming the expansion in a letter on July 1, Caroline Temmink, director of vaccination at NHS England, and Dr Mary Ramsay CBE, director of public health programmes (including immunisation) at the UKHSA, said: “From 1 September 2026, the eligibility criteria will be expanded further to include adults aged 65 to 74 years in certain clinical at risk groups as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).” This includes people with:
- chronic respiratory disease
- immunosuppression due to disease or treatment
The pair set out key points about the programme, including:
- the vaccine used in the programme will continue to be Abrysvo® (Pfizer pre-F vaccine) on a one-dose schedule. Adults who receive the vaccine from 1 September 2026 because they are aged 65 to 74 years old and in a clinical risk group should not be invited for a further dose of Abrysvo® when they become 75 years old
- RSV vaccines can be administered at any time and offers of vaccination should continue throughout the year. RSV vaccination should not be routinely scheduled with influenza vaccination but can be co-administered with the COVID-19 vaccine
- GP providers are expected to deliver a 100% offer to eligible groups, with call and recall delivered at the earliest opportunity
- where community pharmacies have been commissioned to support the older adults RSV programme, an updated enhanced service specification will be issued ahead of 1 September, and commissioned community pharmacies will be invited by regions to enter a contract variation.”
The Prime Minister has suggested that Britain’s exit from the European Union has hampered its efforts.
Migrants continue to cross the English Channel in small boats (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham has suggested that Brexit is hampering the UK’s ability to stop migrants stopping the English Channel in small boats. When asked by BBC South East why crossings are still happening, the Prime Minister said: “I do point to the loss of collaboration with neighbours that came with Brexit.
“That hasn’t helped.
“We had a more cooperative system, if you like, in the past, so we are not able to have the same levels of collaboration that we used to have, but I don’t put that forward as a reason why we won’t keep working until we get the crossings right down. That is our goal, that we don’t want to see any crossings at all.”
He added: “I’m not going to give you a date by which we can do that, or a promise that we will do it, as other governments have done in terms of a particular deadline.
Mr Burnham has said Brexit has not helped (Image: Getty)
“But what I will say to you is I will not stop nor will the Home Secretary until we bear down every element of this criminal, illegal activity and that we do so in a way that gets the numbers right now.”
Chris Philp, Conservative shadow home secretary, said: “Andy Burnham is gaslighting us all to hide his own failures, with over 1,000 illegal immigrants coming in this week alone.”
He added that under previous EU rules, the UK “only ever sent a handful of people back to Europe”, PA reported.
Mr Philp said: “The only way to stop the crossings is to deport all illegal immigrants upon arrival.
“To do this we need to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and that’s the one thing that Weak Borders Burnham will never do.”
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This week saw more than 700 people arrived in the UK on Wednesday and two vessels landing undetected on British shores within two days.
But the overall number of crossings this year (18,609) is down 42% on this time last year (32,188), and 26% below the figure at this stage in 2024 (25,165).
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a three-year £662million agreement with France in Dunkirk in April.
