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Adults aged 80 and over and residents in care homes for older people in England will be offered a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination from April 1 this year.

The Government today extended the RSV vaccine programme after accepting advice on eligibility from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

The programme already offers the vaccine to adults turning 75 years old, adults aged 75 to 79 when the programme began and pregnant women.

The Government also said people who are eligible for RSV and Covid vaccines will be able to get both during the same appointment once the spring 2026 Covid campaign starts on April 13, 2026 “in line with JCVI guidance”.

People eligible for both programmes include those who have not had an RSV vaccine and are aged 75 or over or a care home resident.

Health minister Stephen Kinnock said expanding the RSV vaccine programme was “another important step to protect those most at risk” from the virus.

Dr Conall Watson, consultant epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “RSV lung infection is less well known than Covid or flu but for older adults it puts thousands in hospital each year with a risk to life.”

He said analysis had shown people aged 75 to 79 receiving the vaccine “are much less likely to be hospitalised”.

“The evidence is clear that the RSV vaccine offered to pregnant women is providing excellent protection to babies,” he said.