This joint letter from Public Health England and NHS England sets out the details of the shingles vaccination programme from April 2018. It informs practices that the shingles vaccine can now be offered opportunistically to patients throughout the year as they become of eligible age (70 or 78 years).

Care must be taken not to miss patients who were eligible for immunisation in the previous programme years but have not yet been vaccinated against shingles. These patients remain eligible until their 80th birthday.

It also provides information on: