Eligibility for routine vaccinations and where to find further information.
Contents
Pneumococcal vaccine
Pneumococcal infection can lead to serious illnesses such as sepsis and meningitis. Infections tend to be most serious in:
- children
- older people
- those with certain health conditions
The pneumococcal vaccine is a safe vaccine that can help to prevent some of the serious types of pneumococcal infections.
Eligibility
We offer a pneumococcal vaccine to:
- people aged 65 years and over
- children under 2 years old, as part of their routine immunisations
- some individuals with underlying medical conditions as defined in the Green Book (gov.uk)
Those eligible can receive the pneumococcal vaccine at any time of year. You can make arrangements through your healthcare professional.
Further information is available through Public Health Wales.
Shingles vaccine
Since 1 September 2023, vaccination against shingles has expanded in Wales to protect individuals from an earlier age.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises national shingles immunisation covers:
- immunocompetent individuals routinely at 60
- immunocompromised individuals aged 50 and over
Further information on eligibility is in the Green Book on immunisation - Chapter 28a shingles (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Timetable for changes to eligibility
As with elsewhere in the UK, this change will occur in two phases in Wales. For a 5 year period, it will start with the vaccination of those turning 65 and 70. Then for another 5 year period, it will vaccinate those turning 60 and 65. Vaccination will then be routinely offered to those turning 60.
The shingles vaccine is available at GP surgeries in Wales. Your GP surgery should contact you to make an appointment when you are eligible. If they don’t, or you think you might have missed the invitation, contact them and tell them you think you are due for a shingles vaccine.
Shingles can occur at any age. Yet risk, severity and complications increase with age, especially in immunocompromised individuals. It is important to ensure that those at greatest risk are vaccinated, and this is the basis of our adoption of the JCVI advice in Wales.
To learn more about the shingles vaccine or the diseases it protects against, more information is on the Public Health Wales website. You can also call NHS 111 or your GP surgery for advice if you have any questions.