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Updates & News

MAY 2026

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UPDATES FOR ALL

8th May: Patient group direction (PGD) template published to support the provision of MMR vaccine to individuals with a date of birth on or after 1 January 2020.

7th May: UPDATED ALGORITHM! Vaccination of individuals with uncertain or incomplete immunisation status: from April 2026. Updated to reflect changes to the RSV programme, all adults resident in care homes now eligible for RSV vaccination.

14th May: Following confirmation of the outbreak of Andes virus (ANDV), a species of hantavirus, information on infection prevention and control measures for asymptomatic contacts, clinically suspected and confirmed cases has been published. The document includes details about case definition, infection prevention and control measures in healthcare settings, including primary care, community and outpatient settings and risk assessment. It also includes a useful link to clinical pathway actions cards for primary care settings. Evacuations are well underway from the cruise ship. Up to 150 people have started flying home aboard military and government planes, including 22 British passengers.

14th May: Flu chapter of the Green Book updated to include advice on those living with homelessness.

14th May: Oh no!! another MenB death: Student dies and two people being treated after meningitis outbreak in Reading (not the same strain of MenB as Kent).

20th May: This useful guidance has had a re-vamp and I've added it the immunisation guidance section too so it doesn't get lost in the news feed. SPS Vaccines and immunisation: resources to support clinical decisions.

28th May: All the flu vaccine uptake data has landed for 25/26. Seems to be the usual patterns but slight increases across most eligible risk groups. Check out my flu portal for all the details. Also the annual epidemiological report has come in too. If you just want the summary, The main messages of the 2025 to 2026 season are:

  • The season started in the second half of October 2025 in children and young adults with rising influenza A(H3N2) activity. It peaked around the second week of December (2025) and declined after.

  • The 2025 to 2026 season was dominated by influenza A(H3N2) subclade K.

  • Activity started earlier than in the 2024 to 2025 season but also declined earlier and the overall level of activity over the course of the season was lower.

  • Mortality estimates were lower than in the 2024 to 2025 season.

  • Vaccine coverage in adults and children was overall similar to the 2024 to 2025 season.

  • Overall vaccine effectiveness (VE) in adults was lower than last season at 21 to 34%. In children, VE was 51 to 68%.

  • Modelling indicated that, in England, the vaccination programme prevented an estimated 104,000 hospital admissions and 7,100 deaths.

CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATION NEWS

These two documents have been updated with data up to Dec 2025: Pneumococcal disease: cases caused by serotypes covered by Prevenar 13 vaccine and Pneumococcal disease: cases caused by serotypes not in Prevenar 13 vaccine. This UKHSA surveillance data demonstrates that the PCV13 programme has been highly successful in reducing invasive pneumococcal disease caused by vaccine serotypes. Since its introduction, cases of PCV13-type IPD have fallen dramatically across all age groups, particularly in children under 5 years, with additional herd protection seen in older adults through reduced transmission. Although the companion 'not covered by' report shows a rise in disease caused by non-PCV13 serotypes over time (serotype replacement), overall IPD rates remain substantially lower than before pneumococcal conjugate vaccines were introduced. Together, the reports highlight both the major public health success of PCV13 and the need for newer higher-valency vaccines to address changing serotype patterns.

13th May: Nirsevimab may protect babies from severe RSV better than maternal vaccination

20th May 2026: Important notice from GSK about reconstitution of MMRV Priorix Tetra.

TRAVEL HEALTH NEWS

Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak: WHO and UKHSA are monitoring the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, with the risk to the UK public currently assessed as very low (phew). More about it here in the Guardian. And here's some info from the UKHSA. And some from the BMJ here: Hantavirus: French and US nationals test positive as cruise ship docks in Canary Islands. Some information from the BBC regarding vaccine development here. This isn't great news: Hantavirus may survive in human sperm for up to six years and cause a transmission risk

Celebrating Pride abroad? Have a read of this factsheet.

A Scottish Health Board has confirmed 16 cases of cryptosporidiosis, linked to a lamb-feeding experience: NHS Lothian confirms 16 infection cases linked to Edinburgh farm event.

Hepatitis A outbreak in Wales: Parents in Wales urged to ‘be vigilant’ about hand-washing amid hepatitis A outbreak

12th May: RTS,S malaria vaccine averted 1 in 8 deaths among eligible kids in 3 African nations over 4 years

15th May: New outbreak of Ebola kills 80 in eastern DR Congo

17th May: WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda ‘emergency’ of international concern'

18th May: WHO to give update on hantavirus and Ebola after outbreaks

19th May: Over 500 suspected cases of ebolavirus reported in central Africa as outbreak develops. NaTHNaC are on it with advice!

22nd May: Australia is battling its worst diphtheria outbreak in decades. But vaccines could curb it

21st May: The Guardian reports concerns about the increase in risk of snakebites. It is predicted more snakes will come into contact with people due to increased temperatures, including some of the most deadly snakes being in areas they wouldn't normally be in.

26th May: Lyme disease cases in England rise 20% in a year

27th May: Updated Hajj factsheet from NaTHNaC.

30th May: Bleak news from the BMJ to finish off the month of May :-( Ebola in numbers: Aid agencies warn current outbreak may become “deadliest on record”. And also is chikungunya going to become endemic in Europe and North America due to climate change?

ADULT IMMUNISATION NEWS

7th May: Vaccine uptake data for the RSV vaccination programme for older adults is here. Seems to be on the increase, but uptake in the most deprived decile was 50.3% and in the least deprived decile was 71.8% so big inequalities there. Also, uptake varied by ethnic group, with the highest uptake reported among White - British (67.1%) and the lowest among Asian or Asian British - Pakistani (24.9%). Uptake for the maternal vaccine programme is also updated and at about 63% with the highest uptake reported in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB (76.6%) and the lowest in Birmingham and Solihull (43.4%). Uptake varied by ethnic group again, with the highest uptake reported among the Chinese ethnic group (76.2%) and the lowest among the Black - Caribbean ethnic group (34.2%)

11th May: Study shows doxyPEP’s diminished effectiveness against gonorrhea

29th May: New document published!! The national gonorrhoea vaccination programme using 4CMenB vaccine: frequently asked questions. I've added it to the portal so it doesn't get lost.

My reading list this month:

I learned a new word in May!! Insilication is a new groundbreaking method for encasing vaccines with very tiny layers of inorganic material to make them thermally stable. Much needed!!