Shingles vaccine ‘sees high uptake during first year of immunisation scheme’

A Public Health England report has demonstrated the success of its shingles vaccination programme during its first year.

The scheme was launched in September 2013, with adults aged 70 and 79 years old eligible to receive the vaccine. It was revealed that 62 percent of 70-year-olds have now been immunised, as well as almost 60 percent of 79-year-olds.

Though the vaccine experienced supply shortages between September and December last year, these problems have now been fully resolved and did not have an impact on the overall programme.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Public Health England's head of immunisation, said: "We hope to vaccinate many more older people, and to maintain and improve uptake in order to prevent this debilitating condition amongst older people in England."

Shingles can be a debilitating illness and is caused by the reactivation of the same virus that causes chickenpox in children. It tends to become more prevalent and potentially debilitating in older people.

Around nine in every ten adults in the UK have had chickenpox previously, meaning they are potentially at risk of developing shingles.