Older adults are at higher risk of serious illness from certain infections and are offered vaccines to help protect them against these diseases.
Covid-19 vaccine
The Covid-19 vaccine is offered seasonally – usually during the winter months, and again in the spring. The groups of people eligible for the vaccine changes for each campaign. In autumn 2023, the patients eligible for flu vaccine were also eligible for the covid vaccine.
Find out who is eligible for the current Covid-19 seasonal booster vaccine.
Flu vaccine
Seasonal influenza is very common and highly infectious. It can be much more severe than the common cold. For some at-risk groups (especially frail elderly people and individuals with certain health conditions), flu can be very dangerous. The flu vaccine is seasonal, usually starting in September/October.
Pneumococcal vaccine
Older adults and some people with health problems are more likely to get pneumonia, a lung infection that makes it harder to breathe. It’s more common among people whose immune systems are weak. All individuals aged 65 and over should have the pneumococcal vaccine. Adults over 65 years will be offered a pneumococcal vaccine with 23 strains.
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) – for older adults
From 1 September 2024, those who turn 75 and those age 75 to 79 will be eligible for a free vaccine to protect them from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
If you are not yet 75 the NHS will invite you for vaccination once you turn 75.
RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including:
- cough
- sore throat
- sneezing
- a runny or blocked nose.
It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions. There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. RSV infections can occur all year round but cases peak every winter.
The RSV vaccine is available via your GP practice.
Shingles vaccine
This vaccine gives protection against shingles, a painful skin rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox (varicella-zoster) virus in people who have previously had chickenpox.
People aged between 70 and 79, who have not received the shingles vaccine previously, are eligible for the shingles vaccine. They are eligible up to their 80th birthday.
People turning 65 and 70 years from 1 September each year will be offered the Shingrix vaccine and will remain eligible up to their 80th birthday.
Individuals aged 50 years and above who are severely immunocompromised are also eligible for the shingles vaccine.
Where to have the vaccines
If you are eligible for the Covid-19 and flu vaccines you can access these via your GP practice or at a local pharmacy.
You will receive an invite letter or text for the Covid-19 vaccine, which will include details of how to book using the national booking system.
The pneumococcal and shingles vaccines are available via your GP practice.