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People in their 70s in Surrey and Sussex urged to take up shingles vaccine offer

People in their 70s in Surrey and Sussex are being urged to protect themselves against shingles with a free vaccine.

Local GP practices are writing to eligible patients to offer them the vaccination as part of the NHS shingles immunisation campaign for 2016/17, which begins on 1 September 2016.

By the end of June 2016, just over half of all eligible older patients in Surrey and Sussex had been vaccinated against shingles but the NHS is encouraging everyone who is offered the vaccine to take it up.

Dr Max Kammerling, Head of the Public Health Screening and Immunisation team for Surrey and Sussex said: 

“As people get older their immune system naturally weakens which is why those aged 70 and over are more likely to get shingles. This can be very painful and debilitating and lead to long term health problems long after the initial rash caused by the condition has disappeared. It can also be fatal for around 1 in 1,000 over-70s who develop it.

“I would encourage all eligible patients take up the offer from their GP surgery and get vaccinated against the virus.”

Shingles is a very itchy, painful, burning group of blisters caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox (varicella-zoster) virus. The rash commonly affects one area of the body, often the chest, and can last up to four weeks.

However for some people, pain can persist for several months, or even years, after the rash has disappeared (this is known as post herpetic neuralgia or PHN).

From 1 September 2016, the shingles vaccine will be routinely offered to:

  • patients aged 70 years
  • patients aged 78 years

In addition, patients who were eligible for immunisation in the first three years of the programme (which began on 1 September 2013) but have not yet been vaccinated against shingles remain eligible until their 80th birthday. These are:

  • patients aged 71 to 73 on 1 September 2016
  • patients aged 79 on 1 September 2016

Those patients eligible for the vaccine should receive a letter from their GP surgery.

The NHS encourages eligible patients to speak to their GP practice to arrange to be vaccinated.

ENDS