New NHS Vaccination programme against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
GPC have issued an update following recommendations by the JCVI, two new RSV vaccination programmes will begin from 1 September 2024:
- Adults aged 75 – 79 years old
- Pregnant women to protect infants
NHSE intend to commission this from General Practice as an Essential Service. This represents a single vaccination. The routine programme means adults become eligible after the age of 75 commencing 1 September 2024, but a catch-up programme will be in place until 31 August 2025.
The programme for pregnant women, designed to create immunity in infants, will commence on 1 September with eligibility after 28 weeks. The antenatal service can be commissioned via a variation to the Trust NHS Standard Contract. Whilst GPCE supports the delivery of this programme via the usual antenatal pathway, opportunistic or on-request GP delivery of antenatal vaccinations will be part of Essential Services, however, as commissioners want General Practice to routinely deliver this service it will need to be commissioned locally.
We have made it clear to NHSE that the current £10.06 IoS fee is not economically viable for practices and should be substantially uplifted. Whilst GPCE advise practices to deliver immunisation programmes included within Essential Services, it strongly recommends carefully reviewing the appropriateness of participating in any other non-core contract programme, if this were to be offered, where a £10.06 IoS fee [or less, such as Covid-19 concurrent with seasonal flu, when the fee is £7.54] is offered.
A new RGV PGD template will be developed by UKHSA, available from the PGD collection here . Detailed clinical guidance on RSV and RSV vaccination is expected imminently within Chapter 27a of the Green Book. Both professional and public facing information materials are available here .