Almost one million people in England will be able to get a vaccine to help protect against shingles.
The infection, which causes a painful rash, is not contagious but develops in people who have previously had chicken pox. According to the NHS, at least nine in ten adults carry the virus which causes shingles after previously having chicken pox in childhood.
People can contract shingles at any age but complications can occur in people with weakened immune systems. The Shingrix jab is currently available to those aged over 70 - as Mirror Online reports.
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However, from September 1 it will be extended to those turning 65 and over 50s with a severely weakened immune system. The move from the NHS means the jab is expected to reach an additional 900,000 people.
By September 2028, it will also be expanded to those aged 60 and over. The NHS website explains the first signs of shingles can be a tingling or painful feeling in an area of the skin and a headache or feeling generally unwell. A rash usually appears a few days later, most of the time on your chest and tummy, but it can also appear on your face, eyes and genitals.
It can take up to four weeks for the rash to heal but in some cases, shingles can result in blindness, hearing loss, nerve pain and death.
Steve Russell, national director of vaccinations and screening at NHS England, said: "While the country has been focused on the NHS's successful Covid and flu vaccine programmes, there remain other preventable illnesses like shingles which can be fatal to those most at risk.
"With a quarter of people getting shingles in their lifetime, and with it being one of the few conditions that cannot achieve herd immunity, the expansion of the programme will provide peace of mind to hundreds of thousands and save lives."
Shingrix is a non-live vaccine and was made available as an alternative to Zostavax in September 2021. The NHS said people who have already received a Zostavax vaccine do not need re-vaccinate with Shingrix.
GPs and practice nurses may also offer the vaccine during routine visits or check-ups.
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