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Updates & News
AUGUST 2026
UPDATES FOR ALL
3rd August: Updated PCV20 PGD template to include the new homeless cohort.
4th August: UKHSA clarification on Healthcare Support Workers and Informed Consent for Immunisation
5th August: Pneumococcal Green Book chapter updated following the MHRA approval of Capvaxive (PCV21) and JCVI advice on people experiencing homelessness.
6th August: Exciting development! The mRNA technology behind Moderna’s Covid vaccine reaches the flu and more exctiing stuff here about vaccines that do not need to be kept cool in a fridge being successfully trialled in patients for the first time
10th August: These are very vaulable guidance docments for any vaccines and here is the latest one specific to Flu which has just been updated: Flu vaccination programme 26-27: information for healthcare practitioners
10th August: Fridge-free vaccine passes first human trial, raising hopes for the hardest-to-reach
10th August: Ooohhhh I like how this is a collection now!! Collection: Immunisation: Equity (information on health equity and equality for immunisation practitioners and other health professionals).
Ohhh I came across this VERY interesting and useful site (thanks to Sarah McGuinness for highlighting it). Check it out!!!! Evidence-based risk visualisation Tool: What's the Risk? I've added it to the hesitancy section so it doesn't get lost in the news feed.
12th Aug: Tetanus guidance updated: Clarification of use of IVIG, clarification of risk assessment approaches, and updated NIBSC testing results of treatment products.
14th Aug 2026: Amended Tetanus Green Book chapter to explain interim PEP guidance.
17th Aug: Time to get the laminator out again! Updated complete routine immunisation schedule is here. This includes updates to the RSV eligible cohort.
18th Aug: Why not listen to this LSHTM podcast about polio? 'Forgotten but not gone'
19th Aug: A visual guide to vaccines poster update! Rotarix packaging image updated, poster updated to reflect the removal of Menitorix (Hib/MenC) from the infant schedule, eligibility for RSV vaccination added.:
20th Aug: For fellow educators this new publication might be useful: Educator development fundamentals: A guide to inform educator development across the NHS workforce
21st Aug: JCVI: current advice and recommendations - latest minutes published.
24th Aug: International immunisation schedules comparison tool WITHDRAWN! WHO comparison tool to be used in its place.
25th Aug: New mRNA Flu Vaccine Makes This Flu Season ‘One to Watch’. In clinical trials, mFLUSIVA (mRNA-1010) was about 26.6% more effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza illness than a traditional flu vaccine. It also produced a stronger immune response than traditional vaccines in adults 65 and older, with similar rates of severe side effects, which remained rare. Also see: FDA approves Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine, the first to use the technology
27th Aug: Flu vaccination programme 2026 to 2027 updated!! New section: ‘Prioritisation of adult IIV vaccines for 2026 to 2027 (update 26 August 2026)’ added to clarify prioritisation of certain vaccines due to issues in vaccine supply and availability. I wrote a new flu blog inspired by these pesky shortages: Flu Vaccine Supply 2026/27: WHAT WENT WRONG? And what clinics need to do now.
27 Aug: Flu Green Book chapter update!! Updated sections on history and epidemiology of disease, vaccine effectiveness, age specific advice on vaccine type, contraindications (salicylate use and LAIV) and precautions (egg allergy).
27th Aug: New publication: Vaccine prospectus: National Immunisation Programme and vaccine products
28th Aug: Vaccine Update has landed! This one is a back-to-school bumper edition: MenB for eligible teens and new university starters, MMRV resources, SEND vaccination support, flu supplies and a whole stack of updated patient materials. Big practical change: don't forget from 1 Sept 2026, RSV vaccination expands to include adults aged 65–74 in certain clinical risk groups, so check those PGDs/VGDs before autumn clinic chaos begins.
CHILDHOOD/ADOLESCENT/YOUNG ADULT IMMUNISATION NEWS
As of the end of July, almost 90,000 young people had received their first dose of the meningitis B vaccine, as part of the catch-up vaccine campaign. A further 135,000 bookings have been made for the first dose, to take place in the next weeks. NHS England has more details on this.
3rd August: AJV BCG vaccine PGD updated. Lots of changes including removing the requirement for BCG Vaccine AJV to be disposed as a cytotoxic material. No need for the purple sharps bin anymore!
3rd August: UKHSA PCV PGD amended to provide clarity for use of the vaccine, if required for a valid reason, from the age of 6 weeks up to 16 weeks in the action to be taken section.
7th August: Useful new guidance: Supporting vaccination for SEND children and young people
24th August: Routine childhood immunisation schedule updated. The routine childhood immunisations schedule from 1 July 2026 has been added, the schedule now no longer includes the discontinued vaccine Hib/MenC Menitorix
25th August: Childhood schedule changes 2025 and 2026: information for healthcare practitioners updated! Updated to reflect that these programme changes have now been in place for a year, that Menitorix is no longer available, and the last remaining stock of this vaccine has now expired.
25th August: MRV programme: information for healthcare practitioners updated. Updated to reflect that the changes to this programme have been in place for a year, and to clarify common issues and frequently asked questions for healthcare professionals. Well worth a revisit!
26th August: Guidance for healthcare practitioners on the hexavalent vaccine programme, including its use in the selective neonatal hepatitis B programme updated!! Updated to reflect that changes to the childhood programme have been in place for a year, DOB based cohorts have been updated for clarity.
27th Aug: Cover of vaccination evaluated rapidly (COVER) programme: April 2025 to March 2026 - new data available. England’s childhood vaccine coverage is still heading the wrong way: uptake at 12 months fell for every vaccine measured, while MMR1 at 24 months dropped another percentage point to 87.9%. There are a few green shoots in the older children, but with MMR2 at just 83.8% by age five and persistent gaps in London and more deprived areas, it seems the immunity postcode lottery is very much still with us.
TRAVEL HEALTH NEWS
Be aware that falsified rabies vaccine is still circulating through unauthorised sources in Philippines and also NaTHNaC have some advice for travellers and health professionals while Ixiaro is out of stock.
4th Aug: Updated TBE green book chapter!. Key updates in this revised chapter include updated content on the disease and epidemiology (including detection in the UK), Tables showing vaccine schedules and reinforcing immunisations, and updated content regarding severe egg allergy no longer being a contraindication to immunisation.
14th Aug: Drought may have driven Brazil’s first yellow fever outbreak in nearly 80 years
18th Aug: Watch NaTHNaCs webinar recording: 'getting to grips with Chikungunya'
20th Aug: World Mosquito Day: Developing the next generation of tools to stay ahead of insecticide resistance
26th Aug: An outbreak of mpox in countries that previously had no cases is occurring. This includes Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone, with concerns being raised with around half of cases being in children under 15 years of age. BUT the good news is that the Ebola outbreak in Uganda has ended following 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case. (The 42-day period is the equivalent to twice the upper limit of the incubation period for Ebola). And...The DRC has received its first shipment of more than 16,000 doses of Ebola vaccines.
26th Aug: Frankfurt Airport workers die after malaria infection. An unusual cluster of malaria cases at Frankfurt Airport infected six employees, two fatally. Mosquitos brought in on an aircraft are thought to have caused the infections. A reminder that mosqitoes sometimes go on holiday too...
ADULT IMMUNISATION NEWS
Find answers to frequently raised questions relating to the national gonorrhoea vaccination programme using 4CMenB vaccine here.
Prenatal pertussis vaccination coverage in England from January to March 2026, and annual coverage for 2025 to 2026 annual coverage has been published.
Results:
was (an encouraging) 73.0% in 2025 to 2026, compared with 65.6% in 2024 to 2025 and 58.6% in 2023 to 2024
annual coverage by Commissioning Region ranged from 65.3% in London to 80.4% in the South West
annual coverage by deprivation ranged from 82.2% in the least deprived decile and 63.1% in the most deprived decile
6th August 2026: A study has found that patients with eczema might be at increased shingles risk. Interesting finding! The study found that having a diagnosis of eczema was associated with a 28% increase in the risk of developing shingles, and this link was stronger in young people than in those aged over 50.
13th Aug: Great news from gov.uk...but still more to go... Newborn ICU admissions drop 50% in first full year of RSV maternal vaccine programme
My reading list this month
Atopic dermatitis is associated with herpes zoster in adults – A matched cohort study using electronic health records data in England. Eczema and shingles may be more closely linked than we thought: adults with atopic dermatitis had a 28% higher risk of herpes zoster, rising to more than double in severe disease. And it wasn’t just the immunosuppressants doing the mischief! The association persisted after adjusting for treatment, adding another argument for thinking about shingles vaccination in this group...
‘The payment is small and the paths are steep’: the women saving India’s remotest people from polio. Two drops, a cool box and a 20 km mountain trek: women vaccinators in Kashmir are going extraordinary distances to keep India polio-free. A reminder that eradication isn’t the finish line; maintaining it takes relentless surveillance, vaccination and some seriously determined feet.
Recombinant shingles vaccination and the risk of cardiovascular events (Shingrix may be an overachiever: as well as preventing shingles, it was associated with a 9% lower cardiovascular disease burden over 7 years in adults aged 60+. Heart protection wasn’t on the label - and causation isn’t proven yet - but this is another intriguing hint that vaccines can have benefits well beyond the infection they target. Go Shingrix!! Thank you Prof Vasan for sharing this article with me :-)
Artificial Intelligence used to design brand new viruses - clearly AI is not just for telling me what to make for dinner from the reminants I have in my fridge. The possibilities are endless!!
AI predicts vaccine response based on pre-existing antibody patterns. Oooh this was intriguing! AI identified pre-vaccine antibody “fingerprints” that could predict who would mount a strong or weak COVID-19 vaccine response. The intriguing bit? Some antibodies to completely different bugs - including RSV and Staph aureus - appeared to act as little “immune readiness” signposts, potentially opening the door to more personalised vaccination strategies...
Ebola virus behind massive outbreak in DRC could be mutating Eeeek
He's at it again :-( Trump returns to controversial vaccine policy with order questioning childhood schedule So MHRA have stepped in with some reassurance and endorsement that vaccines are SAFE
No early success for Moderna’s norovirus vaccine in phase 3 trial :-(
Advancing Strep A vaccine development: Insights from India - this article also took me to further interesting information which you can find here.
