17 February 2026

This winter, NHS Borders is offering free shingles vaccinations to people across the region who meet the eligibility criteria. The following people are eligible to receive a free shingles vaccination:

  • Those aged 18 or over with a severely weakened immune system.
  • Those aged 65 or 70 years old on 1 September 2025.
  • Those who were aged 66, 67 or between 71 and 79 years old on 1 September 2025 who have not previously taken up the offer of shingles vaccination. You can get the vaccine up until your 80th birthday.

Clinics have already begun and are taking place at community locations across the Borders, with alternative arrangements being made for patients who are housebound or who live in residential, care or nursing homes.

Those eligible for a shingles vaccination should have already received a letter asking them to contact NHS Borders vaccination team to arrange an appointment.

If you have not already received a shingles vaccination and meet the eligibility criteria above, please call NHS Borders Vaccination Hub on 01896 809250 to make an appointment.

If you are unsure if you are eligible, you can use the age eligibility calculator on www.nhsinform.scot/shingles to confirm.

Shingles can be a very painful nerve and skin condition and is more common among older people, but younger people can experience it too. Having the shingles vaccine can reduce your chance of developing shingles, or if you do get shingles, it can make the symptoms milder.

Shingles is caused by a virus called varicella zoster, the same virus that causes chickenpox. When you recover from chickenpox most of this virus is destroyed, but some survives and lies inactive in your body’s nervous system. The virus can then become active again later in life, when your immune system has been weakened. This is why it is important to get vaccinated against the condition when you get older.

Dr Sohail Bhatti, Director of Public Health at NHS Borders, said: “Having the shingles vaccination is highly beneficial as it can prevent you from getting shingles, or reduce the severity of your symptoms if you do get it.

“As we get older, our immune systems become weakened by age, stress, illness, or certain medical treatments, so getting the shingles vaccine is particularly important in helping to boost your immunity to this viral condition. Having had a bout of shingles recently myself, I can absolutely vouch for the fact that it is better to get the vaccine than suffer the rash. Prevention is certainly the wisest course of action if you are eligible.”