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A think tank is urging Public Health England (PHE) to revise its eligibility guidelines for the shingles vaccination, following a drop in uptake of the jab.

PHE figures have revealed that uptake of the shingles vaccine fell from 61.8 per cent to 54.9 per cent among 70-year-olds between 2013/14 and 2015/16, and from 57.8 per cent to 55.5 per cent among 78-year-olds. 

Following the news, the International Longevity Centre UK has urged PHE to extend the shingles vaccine to everyone aged between 70 and 80, and to improve awareness of its availability in areas where coverage is particularly low.

David Sinclair, director of the International Longevity Centre UK, said: €Shingles can be a significant cause of pain in old age and vaccination is an effective way of reducing the likelihood that we will suffer from it. We must ensure that older people eligible for the singles vaccination take up their right to receive it.€