Shingles vaccine: who can have it free on the NHS
Shingles is a painful rash, usually on one side of the body, caused by the chickenpox virus waking up years later. The rash can take up to four weeks to heal, and for some people the pain lasts for months after it has gone. The risk rises with age, which is why the NHS offers a vaccine.
Who can have it free
- If you turned 65 on or after 1 September 2023, you can have it from your 65th birthday. You stay eligible until your 80th birthday.
- If you turned 65 before 1 September 2023, you become eligible at 70.
- Everyone aged 70 to 79.
- Adults aged 18 and over with a severely weakened immune system, for example from some blood cancers, HIV, a recent stem cell or organ transplant, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or medicines that severely weaken the immune system. There is no upper age limit for this group.
The birthday rule catches people out. Someone born in June 1957 turned 65 in 2022, before the change, so their turn comes on their 70th birthday in June 2027. NHS England has proposed offering it from age 60 in a second stage from 2028, subject to confirmation.
Two doses
You have two doses. In the age groups they are 6 to 12 months apart. For people with a severely weakened immune system they are 8 weeks to 6 months apart. The shingles vaccine can be given at the same time as the flu vaccine.
Where to have it
Your GP surgery usually contacts you when you become eligible, or offers it when you are there for something else. If you are in one of the groups and have not been offered it, ask the surgery.
If you have shingles now
Try to see a pharmacist within 3 days of the rash appearing: treatment works best if it starts within 3 days. If it has been longer, still come in. If you are 18 or over, we can assess and treat shingles here under NHS Pharmacy First, without a GP appointment.
Get an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 instead if the rash is on or near your eye or nose, your vision changes, you are pregnant, you are breastfeeding and the rash is on your breasts, you have a severely weakened immune system, or the person with shingles is 17 or under.
If you are not eligible
If you are 50 or over and not in an NHS group yet, you can have the vaccine privately at our private vaccination clinic in Brighton. It is a two-dose course: the pharmacist checks first that it is suitable for you and tells you when the second dose is due.
Common questions
I am 74 and have never been offered it. Am I too late?
No. Everyone aged 70 to 79 is eligible. Contact your GP surgery.
I am 80. Can I still have it on the NHS?
Only if you have a severely weakened immune system. If you had your first dose before your 80th birthday, you can still have the second until your 81st.
Sources
Last checked against these sources on 22 October 2026.
