Pneumonia vaccine extended to all over 65

Everyone over 65 will be offered a routine vaccination to protect them against pneumonia.

It had previously been available to the over-75s.

The jab, which also protects against meningitis and septicaemia, is already available to university students.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said today: " Pneumococcal infection can cause serious diseases. Everybody is at risk but the older you are the greater the risk."

Patients can be vaccinated at any time during the year and doctors are inviting people in from this month. In January the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation had recommended, in principle, the introduction of pneumococcal vaccine for children.

But it said there needed to be further consideration. The Department of Health said it was seeking more advice from independent experts on introducing the vaccine for children.

Many parents have concerns about the number of jabs babies already receive in a short space of time, including the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.