15 January 2024

This winter, NHS Borders is offering free shingles vaccinations to people across the region who meet the eligibility criteria.

Clinics will take place at community locations across the Borders, with alternative arrangements being made for patients who are housebound or who live in residential, care or nursing homes.

The following groups of people are eligible to receive a free shingles vaccination:

  • People who were aged 65 or 70 on 1September 2023
  • People aged 50 or over who are about to start immunosuppressive therapy
  • People aged 50 or over with a severely weakened immune system
  • People aged 71 - 79 who have not previously been vaccinated against shingles
  • People aged 18 or over who have received a stem cell transplant
  • People aged 18 or over who have had CAR-T therapy

Please note that if you are currently aged between 66 and 69 years old, you will not be eligible for the shingles vaccine until you turn 70. Those who were aged 66 to 69 years old on 1 September 2023 will become eligible for vaccination from 1September after their 70th birthday.

Those eligible for a shingles vaccination should have received a letter asking them to contact NHS Borders vaccination team to arrange an appointment.

If you are unsure if you are eligible, you can use the age eligibility calculator on www.nhsinform.scot/shingles to confirm.

Shingles can be a very painful nerve and skin condition and is more common among older people, but even younger people can experience it. Having the shingles vaccine can reduce your chance of developing shingles, or if you do get shingles, it can make the symptoms milder.

Shingles is caused by a virus called varicella zoster, the same virus that causes chickenpox. When you recover from chickenpox most of this virus is destroyed, but some survives and lies inactive in your body’s nervous system. The virus can then become active again later in life, when your immune system has been weakened. This is why it is important to get vaccinated against the condition when you get older.

If you have not already received a shingles vaccination and meet the eligibility criteria above, please call NHS Borders Vaccination Hub on 01896 809250 to make an appointment.

Dr Sohail Bhatti, Director of Public Health at NHS Borders, said: “Having the shingles vaccination is highly beneficial, as it can prevent you from getting shingles, or reduce the severity of your symptoms if you do get it.

“As we get older, our immune systems have often been weakened by age, stress, illness, or certain medical treatments, so getting the shingles vaccine is particularly important in helping to boost your immunity to this viral condition.”