Written question WQ96429
- Asked by
- Altaf HussainConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
Why is the RSV vaccination not available on the NHS to people over the age of 80?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
In Wales, we are guided by scientific evidence from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to inform our vaccination programmes.
The Welsh Government has accepted advice from the JCVI to implement a year-round RSV vaccination programme in Wales for older adults as they turn 75 and for infants, principally through a maternal vaccination programme. A one-off catch-up campaign is also underway for older adults to target those individuals aged between 75 and 79 (+364 days).
As part of this one-off campaign, those people turning 80 between 2 September 2024 and 31 August 2025 will also be eligible for the vaccine.
The current JCVI advice does not extend beyond the age cohorts detailed above and so are not included in current vaccination programmes. However, the JCVI has stated it will continue to keep the data under review and would consider an extension to the initial programme once more evidence becomes available.