Pneumococcal and Shingles vaccine coverage
PHS vaccination surveillance dashboard

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) within the PHS Vaccination Surveillance dashboard provides the most up to date information on coverage of pneumococcal and shingles vaccination. Coverage is the proportion of eligible individuals who have been fully vaccinated in the past, regardless of when they received the vaccine. This represents a snapshot at a single point in time (specific date).

Main points

Pneumococcal:

• As of 31 December 2024, coverage of the pneumococcal vaccine among the eligible population in Scotland was 70.2%.
• Specifically, among those aged 65 years and older, coverage was 76.6%. For those aged 2 to 64-years-old and who are at higher risk of developing complications from a pneumococcal infection, coverage was 53.0%.
• Coverage in the eligible population was lower among those living in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived areas (62.4% vs. 77.5%), a difference of 15.1%.

Shingles:

• As of 30 November 2024, coverage of the complete course of shingles vaccine among the eligible population in Scotland (aged 65 years, aged 70 years, aged 71-79 years, or severely weakened immune system) was 70.8%.
• Coverage was 49.4% for the 65-year-olds, 63.1% for the 70-year-olds, 77.9% for those aged 71-79 years, and for individuals with a severely weakened immune system, coverage was 56.5%.
• Among the eligible population, individuals from the most deprived areas were less likely to receive the shingles vaccine compared with individuals from the least deprived areas (60.4% vs. 79.0%, respectively), a difference of 18.6%.

Background

Vaccine uptake and coverage data for shingles and pneumococcal are included on the PHS vaccination dashboard PHS Vaccination Surveillance.

The pneumococcal vaccine provides protection against pneumococcal infections which may result in life-threatening invasive disease such as pneumonia, meningitis, and septicaemia. The pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for all people aged 65 years and over, and people aged 2 to 64 years old who are at higher risk of developing complications from a pneumococcal infection. A full list of those eligible for the pneumococcal vaccine is available on NHS inform. There is also a routine infant programme for babies from age 12 weeks.

The shingles vaccine can reduce the risk of getting shingles and the risk of complications. The main complication from shingles is post-hepatic neuralgia, a neuropathic pain that can persist for months or years and the risk and severity increase with age. Further information about eligibility and getting the shingles vaccine is available on NHS inform and from the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland letter on shingles vaccination.

Further information

You can access the interactive dashboards on the PHS website PHS Vaccination Surveillance.

The next release of this publication will be Q2 2025 (April to June 2025).