My Petition

[Kiwiflyer8]

Hello

At long last I have had a reply from the Parliament Petitions. Please see below……

“You recently created the petition “Fund the RSV injection for people over 79, especially the vulnerable.”:

petition.parliament.uk/peti...

The Government has responded to a public (paper) petition calling for action to reallocate funds to provide free Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Shingles vaccine doses to individuals aged 80 or older. The petition was presented to the House of Commons by Bambos Charalambous MP on behalf of residents of the United Kingdom.

The petition asks the House of Commons to urge the Government to take immediate action to reallocate funds to provide free Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Shingles vaccine doses to individuals aged 80 or older.

In response to the petition's request, the Government states that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the UK Government on immunisation programmes. In November 2024, the JCVI recommended that the Government consider expanding the shingles vaccination programme to include individuals ages 80 and over. The Government will review this advice when setting vaccination policies in due course.

JCVI advice informed the introduction of an RSV vaccination programme for adults aged 75 to 79 years. However, due to limited clinical trial data for those aged 80 and over, the JCVI expressed uncertainty about the vaccines effectiveness in this age group. In October,

the JCVI agreed to formally review evidence for potentially extending the RSV vaccination programme to the very elderly and those in risk groups.

Thanks,

The Petitions Team

House of Commons”

After cutting through all the ‘waffle’, I’m very disappointed to say that it looks like a ‘no go’ - for the foreseeable future anyway.

I would just like to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who said that they would have supported my Petition. X

[sassy59]

l wish it could be made available for those 70+ but they won’t do it. Ridiculous.

[Swizzy in reply to sassy59]

It's blatantly obvious that it is cost ruling the age qualifications, not medical concerns. My consultant wrote to my GP and asked them quite forcibly to give it to me and they did.

[sassy59 in reply to Swizzy]

I agree Swizzy and think it’s a disgrace. I wasn’t invited for a Covid jab either but Pete asked at the local pharmacy where he fad his and they’ve booked me in for the 23rd. Thank goodness for that. Xxx

[Swizzy in reply to sassy59]

That's great. Clever Pete.

[Swizzy]

What a load of stubborn twaddle. They don't have enough data because they haven't done the trials. They haven't done the trials because they know that the rsv vacc will obviously prove as effective in this age group as it does in others and they will have to fund it. It is totally insulting that they continue to take the attitude that we are stupid and can be fobbed off with fancy words.. Don't start me on their qualification for the covid vacc !!!!

[O2Trees in reply to Swizzy]

Over-80s are expendible, Swizzy

[Mopsey1897]

thank you for trying

[Patk1]

At least it's been highlighted.they'll only prescribe whatever the drug, for age group if its been thoroughly tested for that age group and rightly so. Safety standards HAVE to be adhered to. In uk, thankfully, research based treatments are the reality and need approval before being administered, for our protection

[O2Trees in reply to Patk1]

I agree Patk1, but why don't they test it on over 80s when they do the testing on other age groups?

[Patk1 in reply to O2Trees]

It does say the JCVI are reviewing the data for the very elderly so hopefully it will be found useful to include them in the vaccination program - hopefully it'll be soon x

[Kiwiflyer8 in reply to Patk1]

🤞🏻

[Kiwiflyer8 in reply to O2Trees]

Exactly! X

[Alberta56]

Well done for trying. The more noise people make the more likely it is that the government will eventually wake up and listen to 'public opinion'. (Look at the sewage scandal.) It is totally unscientific to offer vaccines to healthy people while excluding the vulnerable. Hospitals and surgeries must have lists of such people. Thank you.

[LissacFrance]

I`m all in favoir of the shingles vaccine, and here in france I was prescribed it about 4 years ago. Still no vaccine available. Re the RSV. It is only used in France for babies and young children, as insufficient benefit in older people. Sometimes there are valid reasons why drugs are not available for everybody. Have a good day, and perhaps organise a petition to keep the blst furnaces going in Scuntorpe! Chris.

[Patk1 in reply to LissacFrance]

Did u or yr wife suffer any side effects from shingles jab, Chris

[LissacFrance in reply to Patk1]

No idea is simple answer, unable to get hold of the vaccine. None in stock for about 3 years or so.

[Swizzy in reply to LissacFrance]

Having just done my research I find that there are 2 RSV vaccines in France approved for use in adults over 60. There is also a leaflet for distribution to those over 75 urging them to get vaccinated. As far as I can see this occurred in 2024 after the vaccine was approved by the EU. I hope that this might be useful.

[LissacFrance in reply to Swizzy]

Hi, thanks for the info. I did ask our GP about this and he confirmed that it is simply not used. There are resons for not using, especially if only limited proof of their usefulness. I would however be pleased to get hold of the shingles vaccine, but I`m not holding my breath. Have a good evening, Chris.

[Swizzy in reply to LissacFrance]

I think that your doctor is being lazy or he needs to bring himself up to speed. For the vaccines to be approved in France they have to have been tested and proved effective in that age group. They have been approved. One of them is Abrysvo. I'm afraid that I am not v good tecnically so I can't forward the leaflet for 75 to 79 yr olds (in french). I know that you are younger than that age group but if you google ' is the rsv vaccine available to older adults in France' you will come up with all of the information.The French High Council for Public Health (HCSP) recommends shingles vaccination for adults aged 65 and over. The vaccine is known as shingrix is now integrated into France's vaccination strategy against shingles. It states that shingles vaccination is reimbursed by public health ins at a rate adapted to age. The cost of the vaccine and its administration are partially covered.

You might like to follow that up. I hope it proves useful.

[LissacFrance in reply to Swizzy]

Hi, I`ll ask about Shingrix, the one that was presrbied was out of stock, along with many other items. Thanks for this name. I have an appointment with the GP next week mainly for general check up and prescription renewal, so will ask the question. Chris.

[Swizzy in reply to LissacFrance]

Good luck

[peege]

A travesty Kiwiflyer. Huge thanks to you for making this huge effort to help all with lung disease & long covid who need these vaccinations desperately to give a semblance of quality of life.

[Kiwiflyer8 in reply to peege]

Thank you peege and thank you to all who have sent me positive messages . X

[Patk1]

U did well to get it parliament x

[islande]

that's all very well but what about younger vulnerable people we are being left out