Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) older adults vaccination coverage in England: December 2025 report
Published 12 February 2026
Applies to England
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Published 12 February 2026
HPR volume 19
This report presents monthly vaccine coverage data for the older adult respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme in England, focusing on the period up to December 2025. This report includes vaccine coverage estimates for the routine cohort (individuals who turned 75 years of age since the programme start date of 1 September 2024) and the catch-up cohort (defined as individuals aged 75 to 79 years before 1 September 2024). Coverage data for both cohorts is reported as the cumulative figure measured up to 31 December 2025.
Main points
Since 31 December 2025:
- vaccine coverage in the catch-up cohort reached 66.7%, increasing by 0.3 percentage points from the 66.4% reported in the November 2025 report (Figure 1)
- RSV vaccine coverage in the routine cohort reached 44.1%, reflecting a decrease of 0.2 percentage points in this cohort (from 44.3% reported in November 2025)
- in all the eligible older adults (routine and catch-up cohort), the overall vaccine coverage reached 61.9%, remaining at the same level reported in November 2025.
- in all the eligible older adults’ cohorts, regional vaccine coverage was highest in both the South East region (66.2%) and South West region (66.2%) while the lowest was reported in London (49.1%) (Table 2)
- coverage in males was 63.9% and in females was 60.0%
- coverage in the most deprived decile was 48.5% and in the least deprived decile was 70.0% (Table 3)
- coverage varied by ethnic group, with the highest coverage reported among White - British (65.3%) and the lowest among Asian or Asian British - Pakistani (24.2%) (Table 4)
- coverage varied among integrated care boards (ICBs), with the highest vaccine coverage in the NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB (68.6%) and lowest in NHS North East London ICB (45.8%) (Table 5)
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Analysis of RSV vaccine coverage by cohort
RSV vaccine coverage in older adults is described in terms of cohorts. This is where a cohort is defined in reference to the age at the programme start date (September 1, 2024, as described in the Green Book). The eligible older adults are defined into 2 cohorts comprising the catch-up cohorts (a birth group cohort of those who were aged 75 to 79 years before the programme start date) and the routine cohort (defined dynamically as those that first became eligible by turning 75 years of age on or after the programme start date).
Owing to the dynamic nature of the routine cohort, the eligible individuals in this cohort will increase progressively through the year as more individuals become eligible. The current cumulative vaccine coverage, dates of birth and eligibility definitions for these cohorts are described in Table 1.
Table 1. Cumulative RSV vaccine coverage for older adults in the routine and catch-up cohorts, measured at 31 December 2025
| Cohort group | Birth range of cohort | Age turned in September 2024 | Coverage (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine cohort | Adults turning 75 years old on or after 1 September 2024 | 75 | 44.1 |
| Catch-up cohort 1 | 1 September 1948 to 31 August 1949 | 75 | 65.8 |
| Catch-up cohort 2 | 1 September 1947 to 31 August 1948 | 76 | 66.3 |
| Catch-up cohort 3 | 1 September 1946 to 31 August 1947 | 77 | 67.3 |
| Catch-up cohort 4 | 1 September 1945 to 31 August 1946 | 78 | 67.4 |
| Catch-up cohort 5 | 1 September 1944 to 31 August 1945 | 79 | 66.8 |
| Total | 61.9 |
The combined coverage trend among all eligible older adults (catch-up and routine cohorts) is shown in Figure 1, while trend in RSV cumulative coverage by cohort for the catch-up and routine cohorts is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 1. Cumulative RSV vaccine coverage for older adults (both routine and catch-up cohorts combined), measured at 31 December 2025
Figure 2. Cumulative RSV vaccine coverage comparing routine and catch-up cohorts, measured at 31 December 2025
To illustrate the rolling eligibility within the routine cohort, Figure 3 presents coverage by month of birth, showing uptake patterns as individuals reach the age of 75 years and become eligible. The oldest people in the routine cohort (those who reached the age of 75 years in September 2024) have had the most time to receive a notification and attend their vaccination appointments. As a result, their uptake is higher compared to those who only just reached the age of 75 years in the current reporting month.
Figure 3. RSV vaccine uptake for adults in the routine cohorts (adult turning 75 years after 1 September 2024) by month of birth, measured at 31 December 2025
Table 2. RSV vaccine coverage for older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts), measured at 31 December 2025, by commissioning region
| Commissioning region | RSV coverage (%) |
|---|---|
| North East and Yorkshire | 63.8 |
| North West | 58.2 |
| Midlands | 61.0 |
| East of England | 64.2 |
| London | 49.1 |
| South East | 66.2 |
| South West | 66.2 |
Table 3. RSV vaccine coverage for older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts), measured at 31 December 2025, by index of multiple deprivation 2019 (IMD2019) deprivation deciles
| Deprivation deciles | RSV coverage (%) |
|---|---|
| 1 (Most deprived) | 48.5 |
| 2 | 51.2 |
| 3 | 54.5 |
| 4 | 58.0 |
| 5 | 61.0 |
| 6 | 62.9 |
| 7 | 64.5 |
| 8 | 66.0 |
| 9 | 67.6 |
| 10 (Least deprived) | 70.0 |
Table 4. RSV vaccine coverage for older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts), measured at 31 December 2025, by ethnicity
| Ethnic group | RSV coverage (%) |
|---|---|
| Asian or Asian British - Pakistani | 24.2 |
| Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi | 26.9 |
| Black or Black British - Caribbean | 26.9 |
| Black or Black British - African | 27.8 |
| Black or Black British - Any other Black background | 30.0 |
| Mixed - White and Black African | 37.2 |
| Mixed - White and Black Caribbean | 37.2 |
| Asian or Asian British - Any other Asian background | 42.1 |
| Other ethnic groups - Any other ethnic group | 42.9 |
| Asian or Asian British - Indian | 43.5 |
| Other ethnic groups - Chinese | 45.4 |
| Mixed - White and Asian | 50.1 |
| Ethnicity not stated | 50.4 |
| Mixed - Any other mixed background | 51.0 |
| White - Other | 52.6 |
| White - Irish | 55.1 |
| White - British | 65.3 |
Table 5. RSV vaccine coverage for older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts), measured at 31 December 2025, by ICB
| ICB name | RSV coverage (%) |
|---|---|
| NHS North East London ICB | 45.8 |
| NHS North West London ICB | 46.3 |
| NHS North Central London ICB | 47.6 |
| NHS Black Country ICB | 49.4 |
| NHS South East London ICB | 50.8 |
| NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB | 53.7 |
| NHS South West London ICB | 55.1 |
| NHS Greater Manchester ICB | 57.1 |
| NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB | 58.2 |
| NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB | 59.2 |
| NHS Mid and South Essex ICB | 60.1 |
| NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB | 60.6 |
| NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB | 60.7 |
| NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB | 61.1 |
| NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB | 61.2 |
| NHS West Yorkshire ICB | 61.7 |
| NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB | 62.2 |
| NHS Northamptonshire ICB | 62.6 |
| NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB | 62.7 |
| NHS South Yorkshire ICB | 63.2 |
| NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB | 63.7 |
| NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB | 64.0 |
| NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB | 64.0 |
| NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB | 64.1 |
| NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB | 64.2 |
| NHS Somerset ICB | 64.4 |
| NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB | 64.8 |
| NHS Frimley ICB | 64.9 |
| NHS Kent and Medway ICB | 64.9 |
| NHS Sussex ICB | 65.3 |
| NHS Dorset ICB | 65.8 |
| NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB | 66.0 |
| NHS Devon ICB | 66.3 |
| NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB | 66.5 |
| NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB | 66.6 |
| NHS Lincolnshire ICB | 66.8 |
| NHS Gloucestershire ICB | 67.4 |
| NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB | 68.1 |
| NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB | 68.1 |
| NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB | 68.2 |
| NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB | 68.3 |
| NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB | 68.6 |
Coverage figures
Cumulative coverage in the catch-up cohorts of the RSV vaccination programme for older adults has been steadily increasing since the programme’s start. Coverage has risen from 22.6% in September 2024 to 61.9% by the end of December 2025. As the older adults remain eligible until they turn 80 years of age, it is expected that coverage in this cohort will increase progressively as they remain eligible for longer and have more opportunities to be vaccinated.
The cumulative vaccine coverage among all eligible older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts) was 61.9%, remaining at the same level reported in November 2025. The uptake within the stable, fixed birth-year catch-up cohort has shown a steady increase (increasing by 0.3 percentage points from the 66.4% reported in November 2025), providing a clearer picture of progress unaffected by population changes and rolling eligibility.
Among the routine cohort, the vaccine coverage decreased by 0.2 percentage points from 44.3% in November 2025 to 44.1% in December 2025. In addition, the higher uptake among individuals who turned 75 years of age in September 2024 compared to those turning 75 years of age in the current reporting month reflects the natural lag between becoming eligible, receiving an invitation, and presenting for vaccination. This time-dependent pattern is expected and consistent with the rolling eligibility of people in this cohort and highlights the importance of allowing sufficient time for individuals to engage with the vaccination programme. These dynamics underscore why fluctuations in overall coverage should be interpreted cautiously and why separate reporting for routine and catch-up cohorts provides a more accurate assessment of the programme performance.
In addition, this report highlights that overall coverage in the eligible older adults varies by nearly 17.2 percentage points between regions, 21.4 percentage points between the most and least deprived deciles, and approximately 41.0 percentage points between ethnicities.
Data sources and methodology
This is the 15th in the series of older-adult RSV vaccination coverage reports that will be released monthly, providing cumulative vaccination coverage data since the start of the campaign. The reporting period in the current report is from 1 September 2024 to December 2025. Data is collected through the Immunisation Information System (IIS), which holds denominator data and captures vaccination events from GP practices and participating community pharmacies across England, based on data provided by NHS England.
Vaccine uptake is calculated by dividing the number of eligible older adults who have received the RSV vaccine by the total number of individuals eligible for the vaccination. The vaccine uptake is presented by cohort (routine versus catch-up) and for all older adults combined. Where relevant, figures also describe coverage within the routine cohort by month of birth to illustrate uptake as individuals become newly eligible when aged 75 years.
The data was extracted on 30 January 2026 to include vaccinations administered up to midnight of the last day of the reporting month (31 December 2025).
The 5 catch-up cohorts are defined by their birth year and age as of the programme start date. A more detailed breakdown of the different cohorts can be found in Table 1.
This report presents the vaccine uptake in both the routine and catch-up cohorts. The routine cohort are defined as those turning 75 years of age since the programme’s start date. This cohort is currently comprised of those that are just turning 75 years of age, and those that are currently aged 76 years. As individuals in this cohorts are gradually becoming eligible as the vaccination programme progresses, some have not yet had sufficient time to be notified and present themselves for vaccination due to the rolling eligibility in this cohort.
Data extraction note:
- population estimates for denominator data and vaccination records were extracted from the Immunisation Information System (IIS) on 30 January 2026 for vaccine events up to 31 December 2025
- the data for the new RSV programme relies on new data flows and is, therefore, provisional while enhanced data validation checks are being conducted; any changes to historic figures will be reflected in the most recent publication
The January older adult RSV vaccination coverage report is scheduled to be released on 5 March 2026.
Birth cohorts
Table 6. Birth range and RSV vaccine eligibility dates for routine and catch-up cohorts of older adult populations, measured at 31 December 2025
| Cohort group | Birth range of cohort | Age turned since September 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Routine cohort | Adults turning 75 years old on or after 1 September 2024 | 75 |
| Catch-up cohort 1 | 1 September 1948 to 31 August 1949 | 75 |
| Catch-up cohort 2 | 1 September 1947 to 31 August 1948 | 76 |
| Catch-up cohort 3 | 1 September 1946 to 31 August 1947 | 77 |
| Catch-up cohort 4 | 1 September 1945 to 31 August 1946 | 78 |
| Catch-up cohort 5 | 1 September 1944 to 31 August 1945 | 79 |
Background information
The RSV vaccination programme was introduced in September 2024, targeting older adults as part of a national public health initiative. This routine programme is offered to older adults (divided into the routine and catch-up cohort) upon turning the age of 75 years, and who remain eligible until they turn 80 years of age.
This report is the second monthly publication of the routine cohort and overall older adult vaccine coverage.
The RSV vaccination programme for older adults in England began on 1 September 2024 as a single-dose offer. Eligibility is defined at the programme start date and comprises 2 groups (a routine cohort and catch-up cohort).
The populations eligible for the programme are divided into 2 groups defined in the Green Book) based on their age on or after the programme start date, as follows:
- rolling, year-round eligibility in adults turning 75 years on or after the programme start date (1 September 2024): the routine cohort
- adults already aged 75 to 79 years before the programme start date (comprising 5 catch-up cohorts) are eligible up until their 80th birthday
Those who reach the age of 80 years in the first year of the programme and have not been vaccinated still remain eligible until the present date of the programme.
The primary aim of the older adult RSV programme is to reduce severe RSV disease, hospitalisations and complications among older adults, particularly those aged 75 years and over. Programme coverage is reported as cumulative uptake by week, using ISO week definitions, from 1 September 2024 up to the data cut‑off date for each monthly report.
This monthly report includes vaccine coverage data up to 31 December 2025.
Programme delivery
The programme is delivered through NHS providers. Offers are made proactively to newly eligible individuals in the routine cohort on or shortly after their 75th birthday, and through scheduled catch-up activity for those aged 75 to 79 years at the programme start date.
Previous monthly reports for RSV older adults vaccination coverage in England are available.
Related statistics
- RSV maternal vaccination coverage in England
- Surveillance of respiratory syncytial virus: winter 2024 to 2025
- NHS England vaccination statistics
- PHW Wales RSV vaccination surveillance: August 2025
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) older adult vaccination in Scotland
Further information and contact details
Feedback and contact information
For feedback or any enquiries relating to this document and the RSV vaccination coverage, please contact rsv@ukhsa.gov.uk.
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