Current status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government on what clinical basis the decision was reached to not include people aged 50 to 64, unless they are included in a defined risk group, in the 2024-25 seasonal flu immunisation programme.
The Scottish Government’s decision-making for the flu vaccination programmes is guided by the expert clinical advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI typically advises flu vaccination for all those aged 65 years and over, and all those aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical at risk group.
Scotland expanded its flu programme as part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to help reduce pressure on the NHS in unprecedented times. In winter 2020-21 we expanded it to those aged 55 years and over and then to those aged 50 years and over in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
As we move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, from winter 2024-25 we have reverted to the standard JCVI-advised groups and those aged 50-64 years are no longer included in the national flu programme. This is in line with the approach taken by other UK nations. The only nation currently offering the flu vaccine to the 50-64 years group is Northern Ireland, who announced their decision to expand their programme on 15 January 2025. They took the same approach in January 2024. The position for winter 2024-25 in England and Wales is currently the same as in Scotland.
I wrote to MSPs on 12 September 2024 to outline the changes to eligibility for flu and COVID-19 vaccination this winter, and the reason for those changes.
We have not received data or clinical advice to support any expansion of the programme to those aged 50-64 years, or other groups. Over the festive period, flu cases and hospital admissions due to flu peaked above typical levels for wintertime. These are now showing notable signs of decline in the latest two weeks ending 5 and 12 January 2025. Flu-related hospital admissions in Scotland decreased by 46.6% from 1,077 in week ending 5 January to 575 in week ending 12 January. Laboratory-confirmed flu case numbers have declined for a second week, by 40.6% from 1,906 in week ending 5 January to 1,133 in week ending 12 January. PHS surveillance stats can be found here - PHS Vaccination Surveillance.