RSV vaccine coverage report in older adults for catch-up cohorts in England: January 2025
Updated 27 February 2025
Applies to England
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Main points
The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination programme was introduced in September 2024. The routine programme offers the vaccine to those turning 75 and patients remain eligible for the vaccine until their 80th birthday (Table 1).
This report evaluates vaccine coverage in the catch-up cohorts aged 75 to 79 years old before 1 September 2024 and until 31 August 2025, assessed at end-January 2025. The key conclusion is that:
As of 31 January 2025, the overall vaccine coverage in the catch-up cohort (adults aged 75 to 79 before the programme start date) reached 50.8%, up from the 46.7% reported in the December 2024 report (1).
Analysis
The RSV vaccination programme for the older adults catch-up cohorts aged 75 to 79 before 1 September 2024 achieved a cumulative coverage rate of 50.8% (Table 1)(Figure 1).
Across the catch-up cohorts, the coverage by region, ethnicity and sex was as follows:
- regional vaccine coverage was highest in the South East (55.9%) and lowest in London (39.5%) (Table 2)
- coverage varied by ethnic group and the highest coverage was reported among White – British (53.6%) and the lowest among Asian or Asian British – Pakistani (16.9%) (Table 3)
- coverage in males was 52.7% and in females was 49.2%
Table 1. Cumulative RSV vaccine coverage for older adults in the catch-up cohorts, measured at 31 January 2025
| Cohort group | Birth range of cohort | Age turned in September 2024 | Cumulative RSV coverage (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catch-up cohort 1 | 1 September 1948 to 31 August 1949 | 75 | 49.4 |
| Catch-up cohort 2 | 1 September 1947 to 31 August 1948 | 76 | 50.0 |
| Catch-up cohort 3 | 1 September 1946 to 31 August 1947 | 77 | 51.2 |
| Catch-up cohort 4 | 1 September 1945 to 31 August 1946 | 78 | 51.4 |
| Catch-up cohort 5 | 1 September 1944 to 31 August 1945 | 79 | 52.5 |
| Total (Catch-up cohort) | 50.8 |
Figure 1. Cumulative RSV vaccine coverage for older adults catch-up cohorts, measured at 31 January 2025
Table 2. RSV vaccine coverage for older adults in the catch-up cohorts, measured at 31 January 2025, by commissioning region
| Commissioning region | RSV coverage (%) |
|---|---|
| London | 39.5 |
| North West | 46.9 |
| Midlands | 49.6 |
| South West | 51.9 |
| North East and Yorkshire | 53.2 |
| East of England | 54.3 |
| South East | 55.9 |
Table 3. RSV vaccine coverage for older adults in the catch-up cohorts, measured at 31 January 2025, by ethnicity
| Ethnic group | RSV Coverage (%) |
|---|---|
| Asian or Asian British – Pakistani | 16.9 |
| Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi | 19.8 |
| Black or Black British – African | 19.9 |
| Black or Black British – Caribbean | 20.2 |
| Black or Black British – Any other Black background | 22.7 |
| Mixed – White and Black African | 27.6 |
| Mixed – White and Black Caribbean | 29.1 |
| Asian or Asian British – Any other Asian background | 31.4 |
| Other ethnic groups – Any other ethnic group | 33.2 |
| Asian or Asian British – Indian | 33.7 |
| Other ethnic groups – Chinese | 34.2 |
| Mixed – White and Asian | 39.4 |
| Mixed – Any other mixed background | 40.4 |
| Ethnicity not stated | 42.1 |
| White – Other | 43.1 |
| White – Irish | 43.5 |
| White – British | 53.6 |
Discussion
Cumulative coverage in the catch-up cohorts of the RSV vaccination programme for older adults has been steadily increasing since the programme’s inception. Coverage has risen from 22.6% in September (2) to 50.8% by the end of January 2025. As the older adults remain eligible until their 80th birthday, it is expected that coverage in this cohort will increase progressively as they remain eligible for longer and have more opportunities to be vaccinated.
In addition, this report highlights that coverage varies by nearly 16.4 percentage points between regions and nearly 36.7 percentage points between ethnicities.
Background information
The RSV vaccination programme for the older adults cohorts aged 75 to 79 before 1 September 2024 achieved a cumulative coverage rate of 50.8%.
The RSV vaccination programme for the older adults was launched in England on 1 September 2024 as a single-dose vaccine for adults turning 75 years old on or after the programme start date. A catch-up programme applies to those aged over 75, at programme start, until they are 79 years of age. Those turning 80 during the first year of the programme are also eligible and will remain so until 31 August 2025.
The populations eligible for the programme are defined in the Green Book (3), as follows:
- adults turning 75 years old on or after the programme start date (1 September 2024): the routine cohort
- adults already 75 to 79 years old before the programme start date – comprising five “catch-up” cohorts – are eligible up until their 80th birthday, and
- those turning 80 in the first year of the programme will be eligible for vaccination until 31 August 2025
The primary aim is to reduce severe illness, hospitalisations, and complications resulting from RSV infections among older adults especially those over the age of 75 (4,5).
This monthly report includes vaccine coverage data up to 31 January 2025.
Data sources and methodology
This is the fourth in the series of older-adult RSV vaccination coverage reports that will be released monthly, providing cumulative vaccination uptake since the start of the campaign. The reporting period in the current report is from 1 September 2024 to 31 January 2025. Data is collected through the Immunisation Information System (IIS), which holds denominator data and captures vaccination events from GP practices and participating community pharmacies across England, based on data provided by NHS England.
The data was extracted in February 2025 to include vaccinations administered up to midnight of the last day of the reporting month (31 January 2025).
The five catch-up cohorts are defined by their birth year and age as of the programme start date. A more detailed breakdown of the different cohorts can be found in Table 1.
This report focuses solely on the catch-up cohorts. The routine cohort – defined as those turning 75 since the programme’s start date – are gradually becoming eligible as the vaccination programme progresses and have not yet had sufficient time to be notified and to present to a clinic for their vaccination. Limiting this report to the catch-up cohorts avoids the risk of presenting early and potentially misleading data that underestimates uptake in the routine cohort and the eligible adult population overall. A complete assessment of coverage in the routine cohort will be available once the whole cohort has become eligible and has had the opportunity to be vaccinated.
Data extraction notes:
- Population estimates for denominator data and vaccination records were extracted from the Immunisation Information System (IIS) in February 2025 for vaccine events up to 31 January 2025.
- The data for the new RSV programme relies on new data flows and is, therefore, provisional while enhanced data validation checks are being conducted. Any changes to historic figures will be reflected in the most recent publication.
The February 2025 older adult RSV vaccination coverage report is scheduled to be released on 27 March 2025.
Birth cohorts
Table 4. Birth range and RSV vaccine eligibility dates for routine and catch-up cohorts of older adult populations, measured at 31 January 2025
| Cohort group | Birth range of cohort | Age turned in September 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Routine cohort 1 | Adults turning 75 years old on or after 1 September 2024 | 75 |
| Catch-up cohort 1 | 1 September 1948 to 31 August 1949 | 75 |
| Catch-up cohort 2 | 1 September 1947 to 31 August 1948 | 76 |
| Catch-up cohort 3 | 1 September 1946 to 31 August 1947 | 77 |
| Catch-up cohort 4 | 1 September 1945 to 31 August 1946 | 78 |
| Catch-up cohort 5 | 1 September 1944 to 31 August 1945 | 79 |
References
1. UKHSA (December 2024). ‘RSV vaccine coverage report in older adults for catch-up cohorts in England: December 2024’. Health Protection Report volume 18, issue 11
2. UKHSA (September 2024). ‘RSV vaccine: interim report on uptake of the new, older adult vaccination programme in England’. Health Protection Report volume 18, issue 9
3. UKHSA (2024). Green Book chapter 27a: Respiratory syncytial virus
4. Department of Health and Social Care (June 2024). Introduction of new NHS vaccination programmes against respiratory syncytial virus
5. UKHSA (July 2024). RSV Vaccination of older adults: information for healthcare practitioners