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Vaccine update: issue 363, September 2025

Published 15 October 2025

Applies to England

Immunosuppresssed over 18s now eligible for shingles vaccination

From 1 September 2025, based on the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) eligibility for the NHSE Shingles vaccination programme will change to allow all severely immunosuppressed people aged 18 years and over to receive the shingles vaccine.

This is an expansion of the current severely immunosuppressed cohort, who until now became eligible from aged 50 years of age.

Important points about the changes to the programme include:

• since September 2023, Shingrix® has been available to severely immunosuppressed people (including those who are anticipating immunosuppressive therapy) aged 50 years and over with no upper age limit
• the change from 1 September 2025 will expand the eligibility to all severely immunosuppressed people aged 18 years and over (with no upper age limit)
• severely immunosuppressed people will be offered 2 doses of the non-live shingles vaccine, Shingrix®, with the second dose given 8 weeks to 6 months after the first dose for this cohort, in line with the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
• severely immunosuppressed individuals who have already received 2 doses of Shingrix® do not need re-vaccination
• severely immunosuppressed individuals who had received Zostavax® prior to developing immunosuppression should be offered 2 doses of Shingrix®

Changes from 1 September 2025

Colleagues are asked to ensure all those who are severely immunosuppressed and aged 18 years and over are offered both doses of the Shingrix® vaccine from 1 September 2025. For complete details see the letter ‘Expansion of Shingrix® vaccine eligibility to all those who are severely immunosuppressed and aged 18 years and over’, published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England.

Information provided in the annexes of this letter includes:

• Annexe A: detailed information and guidance for healthcare professionals
• Annexe B: supporting programme resources

Guidance for healthcare practitioners

The updated guidance for healthcare professionals includes information on:

• the 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.

The Shingles vaccination: guidance for healthcare practitioners is available to view, and you can also download a training slide set for the shingles programme.

Resources for the Shingles programme

Updated resources are available to download and order

Posters

• Who’s eligible for shingles vaccination – patient poster
• Shingles eligibility poster – portrait
• Shingles eligibility poster – landscape

Eligibility Calculator

You can download the shingles eligibility Excel spreadsheet calculator to use on your computer. Product code: 2213683EN001

Shingles vaccination invitation postcards

There are 2 designs of postcards available. One is birthday themed and the second one is linked to the new leaflet artwork. Each postcard has an empty section for you to add the name and address of the eligible patient and post to them to remind them about making an appointment for their shingles vaccinations. They can be used for the first or second Shingrix vaccine. To order the postcards use product code S23PC02 and product code S23PC03.

Shingles vaccination stickers

Stickers for the shingles programme are available to order (product code S23ST04). Each sheet has 24 stickers, please order enough stickers to match your vaccine supply.

Shingles record cards

Record cards for the 2-dose programme are available to order (product code S23RC01). They are available in packs of 25. Please order enough cards to match your vaccine supply.

Shingles vaccination guide

This leaflet must be given to everyone eligible for a shingles vaccine

Paper copies of the English version, product code 2213689EN001 of this leaflet are free to order or download.

Accessible versions of the previous version of the main leaflet are available to order and download in: Audio, BSL, Braille and Large Print.

Translations of this leaflet are available in: Albanian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Farsi, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Latvian, Lithuanian, Nepali, Pashto, Polish, Romanian, Romany, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu and Yoruba.

RSV monoclonal antibodies for passive immunisation

There are 2 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) monoclonal antibody immunisations for young children licensed in the UK: nirsevimab and palivizumab. These should be used in line with JCVI advice on immunisation of very and extremely preterm infants and high-risk children.

For more information on monoclonals for RSV please see the Green Book chapter on RSV.

Why is my baby being offered an RSV immunisation?

This leaflet is for parents of premature babies who are offered nirservimab monoclonal antibody immunisation to help protect their baby against RSV. It describes the:

• signs and symptoms of RSV
• niservimab injection and how it works
• side effects and how to report them

You can download and this leaflet or order paper copies from Find Public Health Resources. Product code: 13874458EN001

Personal child health records: The Red Book

A page to record RSV immunisation with a monoclonal antibody is now available to insert into babies’ red books (personal child health record). This is not specific to any particular product but details of the product used should be recorded.

The page is available from Harlow Solutions and can be viewed on their website

UKHSA’s refreshed Immunisation Equity Strategy for 2025 to 2030

UKHSA’s refreshed Immunisation Equity Strategy for 2025 to 2030 sets out the actions that we plan to take, working with our partners across the immunisation system and elsewhere, to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from full protection from immunisation, no matter who they are or where they live. Our aim through the Strategy is to maximise vaccination uptake overall while closing the gap between different communities and across different vaccine-preventable disease programmes in line with the duties contained in The Health and Social Care Act of 2012 and using the Core20PLUS approach.

The strategy sets out how we will work with our partners over the next 5 years to ensure that:

• there is more accountable system leadership on immunisation inequities
• access to timely, high-quality data on immunisation is improved for all relevant stakeholders to enhance policy, strategy and delivery activities
• practitioners and policymakers are better able to generate, share and use evidence to promote immunisation equity
• people- and place-based approaches to communication and engagement around immunisation with different communities and professional groups embedded in ways of working at all levels

If you would like to work with us or learn more about our approach, please find further detail in the Strategy or contact immunisation@ukhsa.gov.uk.

New childhood immunisations communications toolkit

To support stakeholders with their communications on the benefits of childhood vaccination, we have produced a new communications toolkit. It will also be available on the Campaign Resource Centre’s vaccine page in due course.

It aims to support stakeholders encourage parents whose children (0 to 5 years old) have missed, or may miss, a vaccine, to get their children vaccinated.

It contains important messages, background information, specific back-to-school messaging, the childhood immunisations schedule, suggested copy for stakeholder publications and vaccine drives. It also contains information to help increase vaccine confidence and a Q&A which covers commonly asked questions relating to all childhood immunisations.

The toolkit includes the new social media assets, digital screens, email signatures and posters, which can be downloaded for use and which were promoted in recent communications bulletins. There are multiple illustrations for each resource so you have a variety options to choose from depending on who you are trying to reach. There are some assets which are specifically designed for back to school messaging.

ImmForm

The UKHSA ImmForm system is a high-performing, modern platform that plays a central role in delivering the UK’s national immunisation programmes. It is built on a secure, cloud-enabled architecture, aligned with UKHSA’s Technology Strategy. Trusted by NHS organisations and practitioners across the UK and Crown Dependencies, ImmForm continues to play a central role in supporting the national immunisation programmes.

ImmForm is a strategic enabler of vaccine equity, efficiency, and resilience. It supports:

• seamless ordering of vaccines and medicinal products through a single, secure platform
• cost-effective vaccine procurement and distribution, ensuring timely delivery to frontline services
• robust data collection and reporting, enabling surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases and supporting evidence-based decision-making

ImmForm is a critical component of the UK’s immunisation infrastructure, underpinning the goals of the Immunisation Equity Strategy 2025 to 2030.

Did you know?

• GPs in England can monitor their vaccine allocations for the 2025 to 2026 flu season directly in ImmForm – no need to contact the Service Desk. Simply log in and access the “Products Available to Order (Allocation Managed)” report under:
  Reports > Stock Management Reports
• order Vaccine users can view their organisation’s vaccine orders, including batch numbers and delivery confirmations, by the “All Orders” report under:
  Reports > PowerBI Reports > Orders/Dispatches
• ImmForm flu surveys need to be completed by providers, and user guides on how to submit data are available on ImmForm – they’ve also been shared by email for easy reference.

We hope to provide a series of articles in Vaccine Update over the coming months to help raise awareness and understanding of the ImmForm system within the Vaccine community. If there are areas of the system or service you’d like to see covered in the future articles, or suggestions for changes in functionality, which would enrich the ImmForm systems’ remit, these can always be submitted by ImmForm.

Vaccine supply

Routine vaccination programme

Changes to the routine childhood vaccination schedule since 1 July 2025

The routine childhood vaccination schedule changed on 1 July 2025. All vaccines required to support the routine childhood vaccination schedule remain available to order by ImmForm.

Providers should note that whilst Menitorix® is no longer offered to children turning one year old from 1 July 2025 onwards, Menitorix® will remain available to order by ImmForm for those children previously eligible for it. Once central supplies of Menitorix® deplete, those previously eligible children should be offered a dose of DTaP/Hib/IPV/HepB vaccine, also available by ImmForm.

See more details of the changes to the routine immunisation schedule

Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccination for protection against gonorrhoea

From summer 2025, meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination for protection against gonorrhoea will be offered by specialist sexual health services to GBMSM.

Bexsero® (Men B) vaccine is now available by ImmForm for sexual health services. High-level ordering controls are in place to reduce the risk of ordering errors only. These are not intended to restrict activity. ImmForm customers in Scotland should refer to their local ordering restrictions.

For customers that also access Bexsero® for the infant immunisation programme, when ordering Bexsero® orders should be placed for the ImmForm product that is specific to the programme for which the stock is intended. Bexsero® ordered for the infant immunisation protection programme should not be used for the GBMSM gonorrhoea protection programme and vice versa.

Bexsero® vaccine ordered by ImmForm is supplied as a 10-dose pack, containing 10 pre-filled syringes of vaccine and one patient information leaflet (PIL). Each 10-dose pack of Bexsero® vaccine ordered by ImmForm is supplied with a pad of 10 additional PILs.

The 10-dose pack of Bexsero® vaccine supplied by ImmForm does not contain needles for administration. Guidance on the choice of needle size can be found in the Green book chapter 4. Obtained needles locally.

Please add Bexsero® vaccine to your routine ImmForm order where possible, rather than creating additional orders.

To minimise wastage due to fridge failures, order no more than 2 weeks’ worth of stock.

Details about meningococcal B (Men B) vaccination for use against gonorrhoea can be found in the on the guidance leaflet.

Further details about Bexsero® vaccine can be found in the patient information leaflet (PIL).

Contact the helpdesk@immform.org.uk for ordering queries.

Introduction of routine mpox vaccination programme

From summer 2025, a new routine mpox vaccination programme, primarily for GBMSM, will be offered by some sexual health services.

From late July 2025, those sexual health services in England will be able to order Imvanex® (mpox) vaccine by ImmForm. Updated information on ordering dates for England and country-specific ordering dates for other customers will be made available by ImmForm in due course.

High-level ordering controls will be in place to reduce the risk of ordering errors only. These are not intended to restrict activity. ImmForm customers in Scotland and Wales should refer to their local ordering restrictions.

Imvanex® vaccine ordered by ImmForm will be supplied as a 10-dose pack, containing 10 vials (10 x 0.5ml) of vaccine and one PIL. Each 10-dose pack of Imvanex® vaccine ordered by ImmForm will be supplied with a pad of 10 additional PILs and a ‘Dear healthcare professionals’ (DHCP) letter explaining the provision of a non-UK licensed pack.

Imvanex® vaccine ordered by ImmForm will be delivered to customers on their routine weekly delivery day, in an isothermic shipper with an internal temperature of –20°C. The isothermic shipper will be recycled by Movianto who will either retain the shipper at the time of delivery to ImmForm customers or arrange for its collection on a later date. ImmForm customers should therefore not dispose of the isothermic shipper.

Upon receipt of Imvanex® vaccine ordered by ImmForm, customers can continue to store the Imvanex® vaccine at –20°C to retain the –20°C expiry shown on the delivery note and pack. Alternatively, customers can store Imvanex® vaccine at 2 to 8°C with the vaccine then having an expiry date of 8 weeks from the time when the vaccine is removed from its –20°C storage.

The 10-dose pack of Imvanex® vaccine supplied by ImmForm does not contain needles for administration. Guidance on the choice of needle size can be found in the Green book, chapter 4. Needles should be obtained locally.

To help with planning storage requirements, the dimensions of the 10-dose pack of Imvanex® vaccine are 54 x 38 x 92mm (H x W x D).

To minimise wastage due to fridge failures, order no more than 2 weeks’ worth of stock.

Details about mpox vaccination can be found at Introduction of new routine mpox and 4cmenb for gonorrhoea vaccination programmes letter. Additional programme resources are available at Vaccination against mpox.

Further details about Imvanex® vaccine can be found in the manufacturer’s Summary of product characteristics (SmPC)

Contact the helpdesk@immform.org.uk for ordering queries.

Vaccines for the 2025 to 2026 children’s flu programme supplied by UKHSA

The latest and most accurate information on the availability and allocation of vaccines for the children’s flu programme is available on the ImmForm news page.

All information remains subject to change. If you are a provider of the children’s flu programme, ensure you are checking ImmForm regularly.

All flu vaccines for the 2025 to 2026 children’s flu programme will be available to order by general practice and the school-age immunisation service in England by ImmForm.

UKHSA does not supply any flu vaccines for patients aged 18 years and over.

Please refer to guidance from your respective health departments for arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Vaccines and availability

The 2 vaccines that will be available, preliminary indicative ordering dates and the groups that these vaccines should be ordered for are set out in the table below.

Vaccine	Manufacturer	Available to order for	Anticipated order opening for all providers
Fluenz® (LAIV)	AstraZeneca	All children from 2 years of age to school year 11 Children in clinical risk groups aged 2 to <18 years [note 1]	Early September
Cell Based Trivalent Influenza Vaccine (Surface Antigen, Inactivated) (TIVc)	Seqirus	Children in clinical risk groups aged 6 months to <2 years  All other eligible [note 2] children aged 2 to <18 years for whom LAIV is unsuitable	Early September

Note 1: Unless LAIV clinically contraindicated or otherwise unsuitable

Note 2: Children from 2 years of age to school year 11, and children in clinical risk groups aged 2 to less than 18 years

Children’s flu vaccine supply for programme delivery innovation

We are aware of increasing activity across England, in particular by primary care networks (PCNs), to deliver the programme to 2 and 3 year olds by innovative models (such as in a nursery setting). If you are planning any such activity, we advise that you contact childfluvaccine@ukhsa.gov.uk to discuss your plans. This will enable us to support you with any additional supply requirements or any other supply-related advice

LAIV ordering information for general practice

Ordering controls will be in place for general practices, to enable UKHSA to balance supply with demand. These controls will work by allocating an amount of LAIV based on the umber of registered eligible patients and will be tailored to each practice.

UKHSA expects to be able to accommodate the following, however at this time, this information remains subject to change:

• each GP practice will initially be allocated sufficient LAIV to vaccinate at least 45% of its eligible patients (all 2 and 3 year olds, plus children in clinical risk groups from age 4 to less than 18 years) when ordering commences
• increases to these allocations will be made in response to demand and vaccine availability
• requests for extra vaccine will be considered on a case-by-case basis throughout the ordering period – requests for additional vaccine should be sent to the helpdesk (helpdesk@immform.org.uk) and should be sent in good time before your order cut-off (out-of-schedule deliveries will be by exception only)

This vaccine has a short shelf life. Try to hold no more than 2 weeks’ stock at a time and re-order regularly to reduce local wastage through expiry before use.

Multi-branch practices and LAIV allocations

GP practices or groups that operate over multiple sites but are part of the same organisation will have a joint allocation (as in previous years), even where each site has a unique ImmForm account. This means that it is possible for one site to potentially order all of the available vaccine for the group, unless there is local agreement on how the allocated volume is shared. UKHSA recommend that this agreement is in place before ordering opens to reduce the risk of supply interruption. The information above allows practices to estimate the amount of vaccine they will be initially allocated, and how it should be split between all sites.

LAIV ordering information for school-age providers

A default weekly ordering cap of 450 packs (4,500 doses) per week will be in place for school provider accounts.

Where this cap is insufficient and a provider needs a larger weekly volume of vaccine to deliver the programme (for example, where a provider covers a large area using a single account), a higher weekly cap should be requested by the UKHSA Flu Vaccine Operations team by emailing childfluvaccine@ukhsa.gov.uk referencing the relevant ImmForm account number or Org code. Requests should be made by Friday 30 August to ensure that accounts are set up correctly before vaccine ordering commences.

For one-off larger orders during the ordering period, requests should be made by helpdesk@immform.org.uk

Inactivated flu vaccine ordering

The Cell Based Trivalent Influenza Vaccine (Surface Antigen, Inactivated) (TIVc) will be available to order, in a single dose pack, for:

• children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 2 years old
• children aged from 2 to less than 18 years old in clinical risk groups for whom LAIV is clinically contraindicated or otherwise unsuitable
• healthy children from 2 years old to those in school year 11, for whom LAIV is unsuitable (for example, due to objection to LAIV on the grounds of its porcine gelatine content)

Order controls will also be in place for this vaccine as follows:

• for GPs, there will be an initial cap of 10 doses/packs per week
• for school-age providers, there will be a cap of 450 doses/packs per week

Influenza vaccines for the 2025 to 2026 season

Information on all influenza vaccines that will be marketed in the UK for the 2025 to 2026 season are available on the flu vaccination page on GOV.UK.

Impact of changes to opening hours on routine vaccine deliveries

Consider temporary changes to opening times when placing ImmForm orders. Orders should only be placed for days when your site is open and capable of receiving them. If you are aware of a scheduled site closure, refrain from placing an order for that date. In case of a one-off closure, consider rescheduling your order for the week before or after. This approach will contribute to improved overall efficiencies and enhance delivery performance for the benefit of all customers.

It is not possible to accommodate one-off changes to delivery days. Customers should report long-term changes to the days and times when they can accept deliveries, such as routine training days and closures, by contacting Movianto UK Customer Care on MoviantoUK.NHSCC@movianto.com and 01234 587207. This should not be used to report short-term changes due to absence or holidays.

Depletion of Vaxelis® for DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB vaccination

The UKHSA stockholding of Vaxelis® has depleted. Infanrix hexa is now the only DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB vaccine available to order by ImmForm. Orders for Infanrix hexa® remain unrestricted.

Providers should not order more than 2 weeks’ worth of stock to minimise wastage due to fridge failures. For assistance, please contact the ImmForm Helpdesk at helpdesk@immform.org.uk

MMR vaccine ordering

M-M-RvaxPro vaccine should be ordered for all MMR vaccinations, unless a patient requires a porcine gelatine-free MMR vaccine. ImmForm customers in England and Wales may order M-M-RvaxPro vaccine without restriction.

In addition, ImmForm customers in England and Wales may order up to 10 porcine gelatine-free Priorix vaccines per account per week.

ImmForm customers in Scotland should refer to their local ordering restrictions.

Both MMR vaccines may only be ordered for outbreak purposes when this is part of a national catch-up campaign

Vaccine supply: non-routine vaccine supply

Hepatitis A vaccine

Adult

GSK: supply of Havrix Adult PFS singles and packs of 10 are currently available.

Sanofi Pasteur: Avaxim PFS singles are currently available. Avaxim packs of 10 are currently available.

MSD: VAQTA Adult is available.

Paediatric

GSK: supply of Havrix Paediatric singles and packs of 10 are currently available.

MSD: VAQTA Paediatric is available.

Sanofi Pasteur: Avaxim Junior singles are currently available.

Hepatitis B vaccine

Adult

GSK: Engerix B PFS singles and packs of 10 are currently available.

GSK: supply of Fendrix is currently available.

MSD: HBVAXPRO 10μg is available.

MSD: HBVAXPRO 40μg is available.

Valneva: PreHevbri is no longer marketed in the UK.

Paediatric

GSK: supplies of Engerix B Paediatric singles are currently available.

MSD: HBVAXPRO 5μg is available.

Combined hepatitis A and B vaccine

GSK: Twinrix Adult singles and packs of 10 are available.

GSK: Twinrix Paediatric is currently available.

GSK: Ambirix is available.

Combined hepatitis A and typhoid vaccine

Sanofi: Viatim is now a discontinued product and no longer available for sale.

Typhoid vaccine

Bavarian Nordic: Vivotif is available.

Sanofi: Typhim singles and packs of 10 are available.

Rabies vaccine

Bavarian Nordic: Rabipur is currently available.

Sanofi: Verorab is available to order with some restrictions – this product is capped for wholesalers at 250 doses per month

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV)

MSD: Private supply of Pneumovax 23 (PPV23) PFS is to be discontinued from October 2025

Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (PCV)

Pfizer: Prevenar 13 is currently available.

Pfizer: Prevenar 20 is currently available.

MSD: Vaxneuvance is currently available.

Varicella zoster vaccine

GSK: VARILRIX is currently available.

MSD: VARIVAX is available.

MSD: ZOSTAVAX is a discontinued product.

Diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis (inactivated) vaccine

Sanofi: Revaxis is available.

Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (acellular) and poliomyelitis (inactivated) vaccine

GSK: supply of Boostrix-IPV is currently available.

Sanofi: Repevax is currently available.

MMR vaccine

MSD: MMR VaxPro is currently available.

GSK: Priorix is currently available.

Meningitis ACWY vaccine

GSK: Menveo is currently available.

Pfizer: Nimenrix is currently available.

Sanofi: MenQuadfi is available.

Yellow fever vaccine

Sanofi: Stamaril is available to order without restrictions

Human papillomavirus vaccine

MSD: GARDASIL has been discontinued.

MSD: Gardasil 9 is currently available.

GSK: Cervarix has been discontinued.

Cholera vaccine

Bavarian Nordic: Vaxchora is available.

Valneva: Dukoral is available.

Japanese encephalytis vaccine

Valneva: Ixiaro is available.

Meningococcal group B vaccine

GSK: Bexsero is currently available.

Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib vaccine and poliomyelitis

GSK: Infanrix IPV+Hib is currently available.

Hib + meningococcal group C combined vaccine

GSK: Menitorix is currently available.

Live attenuated rotavirus vaccine

GSK: Rotarix is currently available.

Herpes zoster vaccine

GSK: Shingrix is currently available.

Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis

Sanofi: Adacel is currently available

Dengue tetravalent vaccine

Takeda: Qdenga is currently available.

Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine

Pfizer: Abrysvo is currently available.

GSK: Arevxy is currently available.

Chikungunya vaccine

Valneva: IXCHIQ®▼ is available. Please read important MHRA Drug Safety update on IXCHIQ® powder and solvent for solution for injection Chikungunya vaccine (live).

Bavarian Nordic: Vimkunya®▼ is available