NHS vaccine on offer to millions from September 1 to combat virus - eligibility

NHS vaccine on offer to millions from September 1 to combat virus - eligibility The NHS is expanding the eligibility Millions more older adults will be offered a free vaccine against a potentially deadly winter virus from September, the NHS has announced. From September 1, adults aged 65 to 74 who suffer from chronic respiratory conditions or who have weakened immune systems will become eligible for the jab against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The bug was once dismissed as a mere cause of coughs and colds but doctors now warn that it can prove deadly in the frail and elderly. Until now, the free vaccine has been reserved for those aged 75 and over, pregnant women who are 28 weeks along or more, and residents of care homes for older adults. The move to widen the criteria means hundreds of thousands of additional patients with underlying health problems will qualify years earlier than under the current rules. Virus fills hospital wards RSV is so common that almost everyone will catch it several times in their life, usually shrugging it off as a heavy cold. But in babies and older adults, the virus can trigger pneumonia and bronchiolitis - infections that inflame the lungs and airways and can prove life-threatening, often requiring hospital treatment. For those already living with lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), catching RSV can dramatically worsen symptoms, tipping a manageable condition into a medical emergency. Health chiefs say the vaccine cuts the risk of these severe complications, offering crucial protection to those whose bodies are least equipped to fight off the virus. How patients can get jab Under the newly widened rules, at-risk 65 to 74-year-olds will be able to get the vaccine by contacting their GP surgery from September. Surgeries may also proactively get in touch by letter, text, phone or email - but patients are being urged not to wait for an invitation and to book as soon as they are eligible. For the over-75s and pregnant women, the rules remain unchanged. Expectant mothers should be offered the jab around their 28-week antenatal appointment, giving their baby the strongest possible protection in the vulnerable first six months of life, though it can still be administered right up until labour if missed. Care home residents can arrange vaccination through staff or their GP surgery. In a boost for convenience, the jab is also being made available at selected pharmacies in parts of Essex, Suffolk, Lancashire, Merseyside, Leicestershire, the West Midlands and London, meaning many will not need to wait for a GP appointment at all. One jab, years of protection Unlike the annual flu and Covid jabs, the RSV vaccine is administered all year round rather than in a seasonal campaign. Older adults require just a single dose, which is expected to shield them for several years, while pregnant women are advised to have the vaccine afresh with every pregnancy. The NHS has confirmed the jab can typically be given alongside other vaccines, including the Covid, shingles and pneumococcal vaccines, although it is not usually given at the same time as the flu jab in older adults unless a clinician judges it necessary. Safety record The vaccine, known as Abrysvo, has been signed off by the UK's medicines regulator, the MHRA, after meeting its safety and effectiveness standards. The most commonly reported side effects are mild, including a sore arm, headache or aching body. Serious allergic reactions are said to be very rare, and in extremely rare cases older adults have gone on to develop Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition affecting the nerves that can cause tingling, numbness and muscle weakness. Health officials insist the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks of a serious RSV infection. Patients who are unwell with a high temperature are advised to delay their appointment until they have recovered. Anyone who has previously suffered a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine, or to any of its ingredients, should not receive it.