Correspondence

Annexe A:detailed information, guidance and resources for healthcare professionals

Published 1 July 2026

The advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)

The JCVI published its advice in March 2026, based on the latest evidence, that the offer of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination should be extended to adults aged 65 to 74 years in either of the following 2 clinical at risk groups:

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.

See the Green Book for further details.

Vaccine supply

The RSV vaccine, Abrysvo®, is already supplied via the ImmForm website (an UKHSA website used to collect data on vaccine coverage and provide vaccine ordering facilities for the NHS) for the programme. See the ImmForm help sheet for information on registering for an ImmForm account. Providers are encouraged to order stock as part of their usual routine vaccine orders, rather than placing additional orders, in advance of the expansion.

Please note that although the same Abrysvo® vaccine is used for both the older adult and the maternal programmes, they are separate items on ImmForm, and the older adult item should be ordered for the expansion to adults aged 65 to 74 years in clinical risk groups. Providers are asked to make sure that local stocks of vaccine are rotated in fridges so that wastage is minimised. It is recommended that providers hold no more than 2 to 4 weeks’ worth of stock.

Contracting and funding arrangements for general practice and commissioned community pharmacies

The expanded cohort will be added to the routine adult immunisation schedule, which all GPs must offer to their eligible registered patients, set out in the Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE) before 1 September 2026. The vaccine will carry an Item of Service (IoS) fee of £10.06.

For those community pharmacies that have been commissioned to support the older adults RSV programme, an updated service specification will be issued ahead of 1 September, and commissioned community pharmacies will be invited by regions to enter a contract variation. Commissioned community pharmacies will continue to receive an IoS fee of £9.58 for any RSV vaccines administered in accordance with the RSV older adults Enhanced Service Specification.

Co-administration

RSV vaccines can be administered alongside other vaccines, such as COVID-19, and Shingrix®, which may increase opportunities to offer the vaccine. RSV vaccination is not seasonal and should be offered year-round however as the timing of this expansion overlaps with the autumn 2026 COVID-19 vaccination campaign, co-administration is encouraged with the COVID-19 vaccine. RSV vaccination should not be routinely scheduled with influenza vaccination.

Please refer to the Green Book RSV chapter for more information.

Vaccine coverage data collection

Data on single dose coverage of the RSV vaccination will be collected. GP practice-level RSV vaccine coverage will be based on data automatically uploaded via participating GP IT suppliers to the ImmForm website on a quarterly basis.

From 1 September 2026, data for the older adults RSV programme will also be collected on the following:

• denominator: the number of individuals aged 65 to 74 years old in select clinical at-risk groups registered at a GP practice
• numerator: the number of individuals aged 65 to 74 years old in select clinical at-risk groups who have received RSV vaccination

The adult RSV vaccine coverage data for England is available on GOV.UK.

Patient group direction (PGD) / vaccine group direction (VGD)

The RSV PGD will be updated to include the risk groups, and a new RSV VGD template will be produced by UKHSA for NHS England regional teams to authorise for their commissioned services. The PGD and VGD will be available on the PGD GOV.UK website. Both will be available in early August.

Information and guidance for healthcare practitioners

Detailed clinical guidance is contained in the RSV chapter of Immunisation Against Infectious Disease (the Green Book).

Healthcare practitioner information and guidance to support the programme including e-learning and a training slide set will be updated and available on the RSV vaccination programme webpage.

Leaflets, posters and resources

Updated patient information materials will be available on the RSV vaccination programme webpage and to order from find public health resources.

All patient facing resources, and the health professional posters can be ordered free of charge through find public health resources.

All users need to register to receive deliveries. If you register as a health professional, you can order up to 500-1000 copies of leaflets on the website. For larger quantities, please call 0300 123 1002 or email publichealthresources@ukhsa.gov.uk

Consent

Guidance on informed consent can be found in chapter 2 of the Green Book.

Reporting suspected adverse reactions

Abrysvo® is a relatively newly licensed vaccine in the UK and is subject to additional monitoring under the black triangle (▼) labelling scheme by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Healthcare professionals and those vaccinated are asked to report suspected adverse reactions through the online Yellow Card scheme, by downloading the Yellow Card app or by calling the Yellow Card scheme on 0800 731 6789, 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.