Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) older adults vaccination coverage in England: September 2026 report
Updated 5 November 2026
Applies to England
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Published 5 November 2026
This report presents monthly vaccine uptake data for the older adult respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme in England, focusing on the period up to September 2026. This report includes vaccine uptake 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). Uptake data for both cohorts is reported as the cumulative figure measured up to 30 September 2026.
Main points
Between 1 September 2024 and 30 September 2026:
- in the eligible older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts), overall vaccine uptake reached 62.8%, an increase of 0.6 percentage points from 62.2% in August 2026
- vaccine uptake in the catch-up cohort reached 69.8%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from 69.5% in August 2026
- vaccine uptake in the routine cohort reached 46.5%, an increase of 1.4 percentage points from 45.1% in August 2026
- across all eligible older adult cohorts, regional vaccine uptake was highest in the South West (67.5%) and lowest in London (48.8%)
- uptake was 64.6% in males and 61.2% in females
- uptake was 50.0% in the most deprived decile and 70.8% in the least deprived decile
- uptake varied by ethnic group, ranging from 66.4% in the White British group to 25.3% in the Asian or Asian British - Pakistani group
- uptake varied by integrated care board (ICB), with the highest vaccine uptake in the NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB (69.5%) and the lowest in NHS North East London ICB (45.4%)
Notice of forthcoming changes
Following the expansion of the RSV older adult vaccination programme in 2026, UKHSA is reviewing the methodology used to produce these statistics to ensure coverage estimates reflect all populations currently eligible for vaccination. Future publications are expected to report coverage separately for the routine cohort, catch-up cohort, and the newly eligible cohorts (adults aged 80 years and over, residents of older adult care homes, and adults aged 65 to 74 years in eligible clinical risk groups).
As part of this work, UKHSA is reviewing denominator definitions and statistical methods used to estimate vaccine coverage. These changes may affect the presentation and comparability of coverage estimates with previously published cumulative uptake figures. Further details, including updates to the quality and methodology information (QMI) report, will be provided before implementation.
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Analysis of RSV vaccine uptake by cohort
RSV vaccine uptake in older adults is described using programme cohorts, which are defined according to eligibility criteria set out in the Green Book on immunisation against infectious disease. Since the introduction of the programme on 1 September 2024, eligibility has expanded beyond the original routine and catch-up cohorts to include additional groups at increased risk of severe RSV disease.
For the purposes of reporting, uptake among older adults is currently presented by the routine cohort and catch-up cohorts. The catch-up cohorts comprise individuals who were aged 75 to 79 years on 1 September 2024 and therefore became eligible when the programme was introduced. The routine cohort is defined dynamically as individuals who first became eligible by reaching 75 years of age on or after 1 September 2024.
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 uptake, dates of birth and eligibility definitions for these cohorts are described in Table 1.
Cumulative uptake in the catch-up cohorts of the RSV vaccination programme for older adults has been steadily increasing since the programme’s start. Uptake has risen from 22.6% in September 2024 to 69.8% by the end of September 2026. As the older adults in the catch-up cohort remain eligible until they turn 80 years of age, it is expected that uptake in this cohort will increase progressively as they remain eligible for longer and have more opportunities to be vaccinated.
The RSV vaccination programme has since expanded to include additional eligible populations, including adults aged 80 years and over and residents of older adult care homes from 1 April 2026, and adults aged 65 to 74 years with chronic respiratory disease or immunosuppression from 1 September 2026. Vaccine uptake estimates for these newly eligible groups are not included in the current report, as the underlying data are undergoing quality assurance. Following completion of this process, and subject to the data meeting the required quality standards, these cohorts will be incorporated into future RSV vaccine coverage reports.
Table 1. Cumulative RSV vaccine uptake for older adults in the routine and catch-up cohorts, measured at 30 September 2026
| Cohort group | Birth range of cohort | Age turned in September 2024 | Uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine cohort | Adults turning 75 years on or after 1 September 2024 | 75 | 46.5 |
| Catch-up cohort 1 | 1 September 1948 to 31 August 1949 | 75 | 68.9 |
| Catch-up cohort 2 | 1 September 1947 to 31 August 1948 | 76 | 69.6 |
| Catch-up cohort 3 | 1 September 1946 to 31 August 1947 | 77 | 70.5 |
| Catch-up cohort 4 | 1 September 1945 to 31 August 1946 | 78 | 70.4 |
| Catch-up cohort 5 | 1 September 1944 to 31 August 1945 | 79 | 69.5 |
| Total | 62.8 |
The cumulative vaccine uptake among all eligible older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts) was 62.8% in the reporting month. This represented a 0.6 percentage point increase compared with August 2026 (62.2%). The uptake within the stable, fixed birth-year catch-up cohort has shown a steady increase (increasing by 0.3 percentage points from the 69.5% reported in August 2026). This provides a clearer picture of progress unaffected by population changes and rolling eligibility.
Figure 1. Cumulative RSV vaccine uptake for older adults (both routine and catch-up cohorts combined), measured at 30 September 2026
The combined uptake trend among all eligible older adults (catch-up and routine cohorts) is shown in Figure 1, while the trend in RSV cumulative uptake by cohort for the catch-up and routine cohorts is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Cumulative RSV vaccine uptake comparing routine and catch-up cohorts, measured at 30 September 2026
As shown in Figure 2, uptake differed between the cohorts, reflecting variations in eligibility patterns. The routine cohort achieved a cumulative uptake of 46.5% which was lower than the uptake in the catch-up cohort (69.8%). These differences highlight the dynamic nature of the routine cohort, in which individuals become eligible over time, compared with the more static population of the catch-up cohort during the reporting period.
Among the routine cohort, the vaccine uptake increased by 1.4 percentage points from 45.1% in August 2026 to 46.5% in September 2026. In addition, the higher uptake among individuals who turned 75 years of age in September 2024 compared with 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 uptake 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, the cumulative uptake plots are based on the eligible population identified at the time of the data extraction. As the eligible population may change between monthly extractions, cumulative percentages should be interpreted in the context of the denominator applicable at the time of extraction.
To illustrate the rolling eligibility within the routine cohort, Figure 3 presents uptake 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 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 with those who only just reached 75 years in the current reporting month.
Figure 3. RSV vaccine uptake for adults in the routine cohort (adults turning 75 years after 1 September 2024) by month of birth, measured at 30 September 2026
As shown in Table 2, uptake varied across the NHS commissioning regions, with the highest uptake reported in the South West (67.5%) while the lowest was reported in London (48.8%).
Table 2. RSV vaccine uptake for older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts), measured at 30 September 2026, by commissioning region
| Commissioning region | RSV uptake (%) |
|---|---|
| North East and Yorkshire | 64.9 |
| North West | 59.3 |
| Midlands | 62.2 |
| East of England | 65.2 |
| London | 48.8 |
| South East | 67.1 |
| South West | 67.5 |
Uptake varied by deprivation (index of multiple deprivation decile), with the highest uptake in the least deprived decile (70.8%) and the lowest in the most deprived decile (50.0%) (Table 3). This represents a difference of 20.8 percentage points between the least and most deprived decile groups.
Table 3. RSV vaccine uptake for older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts), measured at 30 September 2026, by Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019 deprivation deciles
| Deprivation deciles | RSV uptake (%) |
|---|---|
| 1 (Most deprived) | 50.0 |
| 2 | 52.4 |
| 3 | 55.7 |
| 4 | 59.1 |
| 5 | 61.9 |
| 6 | 63.9 |
| 7 | 65.4 |
| 8 | 66.7 |
| 9 | 68.5 |
| 10 (Least deprived) | 70.8 |
Uptake varied across ethnic groups (Table 4), with the highest uptake reported among White - British (66.4%) and the lowest among Asian or Asian British - Pakistani ethnic group (25.3%). This represents a difference of 41.1 percentage points between the ethnic groups with the highest and lowest uptake.
Table 4. RSV vaccine uptake for older adults (routine and catch-up cohorts), measured at 30 September 2026, by ethnicity
| Ethnic group | RSV uptake (%) |
|---|---|
| Asian or Asian British - any other Asian background | 43.2 |
| Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi | 27.7 |
| Asian or Asian British - Chinese | 46.4 |
| Asian or Asian British - Indian | 44.4 |
| Asian or Asian British - Pakistani | 25.3 |
| Black or Black British - African | 29.7 |
| Black or Black British - any other Black background | 31.6 |
| Black or Black British - Caribbean | 27.9 |
| Mixed - any other mixed background | 51.8 |
| Mixed - White and Asian | 51.1 |
| Mixed - White and Black African | 38.0 |
| Mixed - White and Black Caribbean | 38.9 |
| White - any other white background | 53.1 |
| White - British | 66.4 |
| White - Irish | 56.3 |
| Ethnicity not stated | 50.4 |
| Other ethnic groups - any other ethnic group | 43.5 |
The map in Figure 4 shows RSV uptake by local authority for the older adults in the routine and catch-up cohorts. Uptake varied significantly between local authorities, with a gap of 48.8 percentage points between the highest and lowest areas.
Figure 4. Map of RSV vaccine uptake in older adults (including catch-up and routine cohorts) by local authority, measured at 30 September 2026
Regional variation in vaccine uptake across the ICBs is shown in Figure 5. The highest vaccine uptake was recorded in the NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB (69.5%). The lowest was in NHS North East London ICB (45.4%), representing a difference of 24.1 percentage points in uptake across ICBs.
Figure 5. Map of RSV vaccine uptake in older adults (including catch-up and routine cohorts) by ICB, measured at 30 September 2026
Further detail, including uptake figures broken down by local authority and ICB, can be found in the September 2026 supplementary data tables.
Data sources and methodology
Further details on cohort definitions, data sources, methodology, and data quality and limitations are available in the quality and methodology information (QMI) report.
This is the twenty-fourth monthly report on older adult RSV vaccination uptake in England, presenting cumulative vaccine coverage from the start of the programme on 1 September 2024 to September 2026. Data are sourced from the Immunisation Information System (IIS), which holds denominator data and captures vaccination records from GP practices and participating community pharmacies. Vaccine uptake is calculated as the proportion of eligible older adults who have received an RSV vaccination and is presented for the routine cohort, catch-up cohort, and all eligible older adults combined. The routine cohort comprises individuals becoming eligible as they turn 75 years of age, meaning some may not yet have had sufficient opportunity to receive vaccination because eligibility is introduced on a rolling basis. Data were extracted on 27 October 2026 and include vaccinations administered up to 30 September 2026. As the RSV vaccination programme uses new data flows, figures remain provisional while ongoing data quality assurance and validation are undertaken; any revisions to historical data will be reflected in future publications.
Data extraction note:
- population estimates for denominator data and vaccination records were extracted from the IIS on 27 October 2026 for vaccine events up to 30 September 2026
- 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 October older adult RSV vaccination uptake report is scheduled to be released on 3 December 2026.
Background information
The RSV vaccination programme for older adults in England was introduced on 1 September 2024 as a routine, single-dose programme to protect individuals at increased risk of severe RSV disease and its complications. Initially, the programme comprised a routine cohort and a catch-up cohort, with eligibility beginning at age 75 years and continuing until an individual’s 80th birthday. Since its introduction, the programme has expanded to include additional groups identified as being at increased risk of severe RSV disease and related hospitalisation.
Eligibility for the programme is defined in the Green Book on immunisation against infectious disease and subsequent updates. Eligible populations currently include:
- rolling, year-round eligibility in adults turning 75 years on or after the programme start date (1 September 2024), referred to as 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, referred to as the catch-up cohort
- From 1 April 2026, eligibility was expanded to include all adults aged 80 years and over who had not previously been vaccinated through the routine or catch-up programme, as well as all residents of older adult care homes, irrespective of age, reflecting their increased risk of severe RSV disease.
- From 1 September 2026, eligibility was further expanded to include adults aged 65 to 74 years with chronic respiratory disease or immunosuppression due to disease or treatment, following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Individuals who become eligible for the programme but have not yet been vaccinated remain eligible and may receive a single RSV vaccination if they belong to one of the groups described above. As a result of the programme expansions implemented in April and September 2026, eligibility now extends beyond the original routine and catch-up cohorts to include older adults aged 80 years and over, residents of older adult care homes, and specified clinical risk groups aged 65 to 74 years.
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 uptake 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 uptake data up to 30 September 2026.
Programme delivery
The programme is delivered through NHS providers using a call and recall approach. Vaccination offers are made proactively to individuals in the routine cohort when they become eligible, typically on or shortly after their 75th birthday. Targeted call and recall activity is also undertaken for those eligible through the catch-up cohort and subsequent programme expansions, including adults aged 80 years and over, residents of older adult care homes, and adults aged 65 to 74 years in eligible clinical risk groups.
RSV vaccination is primarily delivered through GP practices, with community pharmacies commissioned in some areas to support programme delivery. Eligible individuals may therefore receive their vaccination through either their GP practice or a participating community pharmacy, depending on local arrangements. The vaccine is offered as a single dose and can be administered throughout the year.
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
- Public Health Wales RSV vaccination report
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) older adult vaccination in Scotland
- Expansion of eligibility to adults 65 to 74 years in certain clinical at-risk groups letter
- Vaccination in adults at higher risk of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease
Further information and contact details
Feedback and contact information
For feedback or any enquiries relating to this document and the RSV vaccination uptake, please contact rsv@ukhsa.gov.uk.
Official statistics
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
You are welcome to contact us directly by emailing rsv@ukhsa.gov.uk with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
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