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Guidance

Shingles vaccination: guidance for healthcare practitioners

Information about the shingles vaccination programme aimed at healthcare practitioners.

Updates to this page

From:
UK Health Security Agency
Published:
5 April 2018
Last updated:
2 September 2025
Show all updates

  1. Added the link to the new shingles calculator.

  2. This guidance has been updated due to expansion of the programme to include immunosuppressed inviduals aged 18 years and over. The content has been reviewed, reorganised and updated to align with the revised Green Book chapter.

  3. Updated to remove reference to Zostavax administration as vaccine no longer available from 01 November 2024 (final batch of vaccine supplied expired 31 October 2024) Co-administration section updated to include COVID-19 and RSV vaccines

  4. Clarifications made in the 2 sections about severely immunosuppressed individuals who received Zostavax prior to becoming immunosuppressed.

  5. Added link to shingles eligibility calculator and updated link to digital display banners.

  6. Updated guidance – see document history for changes.

  7. Updated guidance – see document history for changes.

  8. Updated guidance – see document history for changes.

  9. Guidance document, training slide set and digital banners rebranded.

  10. Added list of SNOMED codes.

  11. Updated guidance and training slideset for healthcare professionals.

  12. Added shingles flowchart.

  13. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Shingles immunisation programme: information for healthcare practitioners

HTML

SNOMED codes

ODS, 157 KB

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Details

The aim of the herpes zoster (shingles) vaccination programme is to reduce the incidence and severity of shingles disease in older people.

The guidance for healthcare practitioners document includes information on:

  • shingles infection
  • programme delivery
  • shingles vaccines
  • vaccine eligibility
  • vaccine administration

The SNOMED codes can be used to assist with identifying patients who are indicated for Shingrix® vaccine.

A training slide set for the shingles programme is available to download.

An eligibility calculator tool is available to download. Health professionals can enter a patient’s date of birth into this interactive document to work out which vaccine they are eligible for and when to offer a second appointment. An accessible text version of the eligibility tool is available.

Shingles web and social media display banners are available to download.

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