Private RSV Vaccine in London

Any adult within the vaccine's licence who isn't covered by the NHS: adults aged 60 to 74 outside the NHS risk groups, adults aged 60 to 64 with any long-term condition, adults aged 65 to 74 with a condition that isn't on the NHS list, and adults aged 18 to 59 with a condition that raises their RSV risk. Your pharmacist confirms you're suitable at the appointment.

The NHS extended free RSV vaccination to adults aged 65 to 74 with a weakened immune system or a serious long-term lung condition (COPD, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung fibrosis, pneumoconiosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or asthma that has needed steroid tablets or a hospital stay in the last two years). If that's you, ask your GP surgery for the free vaccine. Adults under 65, and other conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, are still not covered.

Yes. Abrysvo is licensed from age 18 for adults at increased risk, which includes people with leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma, people having chemotherapy or biologic treatment, transplant recipients and people on long-term high-dose steroids. The NHS doesn't fund it below 65, even though its own data show your hospital risk matches the over-75s. Your protection may be a little lower than in someone with a healthy immune system, but UK guidance is to vaccinate anyway. A clinic letter is helpful but not required.

Yes. The vaccine is licensed for everyone aged 60 and over. The NHS risk-group offer only starts at 65, so at 60 to 64 you can be vaccinated privately. Having a private dose now doesn't stop you being offered a free NHS dose later; under the programme rules you would still be invited when you become eligible.

Not at the moment. At 65 to 74 the NHS funds only two groups: a weakened immune system and the listed chronic lung conditions. Heart disease, diabetes, kidney and liver disease, well-controlled asthma and neurological conditions all raise your RSV risk but aren't yet covered, so you can have the vaccine privately with us. The JCVI is still reviewing these conditions.

No. If you're eligible, get it free from your GP surgery, or from your maternity service if you're pregnant. We only suggest a private dose if you can't get an NHS appointment in time, for example a pregnant woman close to her due date. This applies to a small number of people.

Yes. We use Abrysvo (Pfizer), the same RSV vaccine used in the NHS older-adult and pregnancy programmes.

£240, all-inclusive, covering the consultation, the vaccine, administration and aftercare. The £25 deposit you pay when booking comes off that total, so there is nothing else to pay. If you cancel or reschedule with at least 48 hours' notice we refund your deposit less a £1 administrative fee. Late cancellation or a missed appointment is charged at £25, and if your assessment means the vaccine can't be given, only a capped £25 consultation fee applies.

Very effective. In the first season of the UK programme it cut the risk of hospital admission with RSV by 82% in adults aged 75 to 79, and by 87% for the most severe illness, in a UKHSA study across 14 English hospitals. Across all four UK nations the figure was 75%. Protection was around 73% in people with a weakened immune system. In the licensing trial, protection against more severe RSV lung illness was 89% in the first season and about 78% in the second.

One dose is all that's currently recommended. Trials show strong protection through two RSV seasons, and it is expected to fade gradually after that. No booster is recommended yet by the Green Book or the vaccine's licence, because the right timing hasn't been established and early repeat doses haven't added protection in trials. If you're two or more seasons on and still at high risk, email us and we'll review it with you.

Not routinely. No UK guidance currently recommends a booster, and the NHS gives one dose only. We consider a repeat dose only where our prescriber judges it clinically appropriate, for example a patient at high risk who is several seasons on. Email us your vaccination date and condition first and we'll tell you whether an appointment is worthwhile.

No. Under the NHS programme rules, people who have had an RSV vaccine privately are still invited for their free NHS dose when they become eligible, at 75 or at 65 with a qualifying condition. UKHSA guidance asks for a minimum of 24 months between a private dose of Abrysvo and the NHS dose, following a discussion of the benefits and risks, because protection is known to last at least that long. So if you're within two years of becoming NHS-eligible, tell us at your assessment and we'll talk through whether waiting for the free dose makes more sense for you.

The most common side effects are tiredness, headache, a sore arm and muscle aches for a day or two. Serious reactions are very rare. In adults aged 60 and over, a small increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (a rare nerve condition) has been seen in the six weeks after RSV vaccination: roughly 10 to 25 extra cases per million doses, against a background rate of about 20 per million per year in people aged 70 to 79. The Commission on Human Medicines has concluded the benefits of vaccination clearly outweigh this risk. Seek medical help promptly if you notice tingling, numbness, weakness or pins and needles in your hands, feet, arms or legs. Please read the Patient Information Leaflet; your pharmacist will discuss this and any other precautions with you.

Shingles, COVID-19 and pneumococcal vaccines can be given at the same visit. Flu is different: national guidance is not to routinely give a flu vaccine on the same day as the RSV vaccine in older adults, because studies show a somewhat lower immune response to both when they are given together. That applies whichever flu vaccine you have, including the cell-based flu vaccine we give in the pharmacy. No minimum gap is required, so any other day works: many patients have their flu jab first and come back for RSV, or the other way round. If you need protection straight away, or a second visit isn't realistic for you, the two can be given together. In pregnancy, flu and COVID-19 vaccines can safely be given with RSV. Let us know which other vaccines you've had or are due.

RSV circulates mainly from October to February, peaking in late November and December, so late summer to early autumn is ideal. It isn't a seasonal vaccine, though: one dose covers at least two seasons and it can be given all year round. If winter has already started, don't wait.

No. Our pharmacist assesses your suitability at the appointment, with no GP referral or prescription needed. If you're under 60, a clinic letter mentioning your condition or treatment is helpful but not essential. Consultants are welcome to refer patients; see the clinician section below.

We're at 35 South End Road, Hampstead, London NW3 2PY, directly opposite Hampstead Heath Rail Station (Mildmay line). Belsize Park (Northern line) is about a 10 to 12 minute walk, with direct trains from Euston and King's Cross St Pancras if you're travelling from outside London. Bus routes 24, 46, 168 and C11 serve South End Green. On-street parking nearby is limited and pay-and-display, so public transport is usually easiest.

Yes. We offer home vaccinations across our local area, with a minimum call-out fee of £100 plus the cost of the vaccine. This can be ideal if you're housebound or would prefer not to travel. Email your postcode to info@hhpharmacy.co.uk for a quote.