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Image source, Getty ImagesThe autumn Covid booster campaign is under way in England and Scotland, with care home residents and staff among the first to get jabs.
Many people will get a new type of vaccine which tackles both the original Covid virus and the recent Omicron variant.
Who will get an autumn booster?
Another Covid vaccine dose will be offered to:
- adults aged 50 and over
- people aged five to 49 with health conditions which put them at higher risk – including pregnant women
- care home staff
- frontline health and social care workers
- carers aged 16 to 49
- household contacts of people with weakened immune systems
Anyone aged 16 or over – or at-risk children aged 12 to 15 – who have had both of their primary jabs, can also have their first booster.
A wider rollout will follow on 12 September, which will prioritise the oldest and most vulnerable.
Scotland’s autumn booster campaign also started on 5 September, with jabs offered to care home residents first, followed by health and social care workers.
Which vaccine will people receive?
However, health officials say people should take whichever booster they are offered, as all vaccines provide protection against becoming severely ill or dying from Covid.
Image source, Getty ImagesAs happened last year, many people will be offered a free flu jab along with their Covid booster
Previous boosters were a single dose of either Pfizer or Moderna – regardless of which vaccine you had received previously.
Anyone who could not have Pfizer or Moderna for medical reasons was offered a booster dose of AstraZeneca.
First and second vaccine doses are either AstraZeneca or (for under-40s) Pfizer or Moderna.
Which children can get jabbed?
- all 12 to 15-year-olds are offered two doses of Pfizer
- all 16 and 17-year-olds can have a booster, three months after their second jab
- 12 to 15-year-olds in an at-risk group, or who live with someone with a weakened immune system, can have a booster
How do I book my Covid vaccine?
You can also go to a walk-in clinic, although not all centres offer jabs to under-12s, and some have closed since the initial vaccination push.
Image source, Getty ImagesAutumn Covid booster jabs can now be booked
You should leave eight weeks between your first and second doses and wait at least 12 weeks before having a booster.
- In England: You can book online, by calling 119, or visiting a walk-in clinic
- In Scotland: Over-16s can register for their first dose or book their second or booster dose online, or by calling 0800 030 8013
- In Wales: Over-16s will be invited for their booster. If you haven’t been invited – or you haven’t had your first two doses – you can contact your health board
- In Northern Ireland: Appointments for over-fives can be made online or by calling 0300 200 7813
How many people have been vaccinated?
More than 79% of all over-75s had a spring booster.
Image source, Getty ImagesMany pregnant women complained they weren’t given enough information about the Covid jab
How long after Covid can I have a jab?
Under-18s who are not at higher risk from Covid should wait 12 weeks.
The vaccines do not infect you with Covid and cannot cause positive results on a Covid test.
What are the side effects?
They are part of the body’s normal immune response to vaccines and tend to resolve within a day or two.
Why it is normal for some people to experience short-term side effects from Covid-19 vaccines
You should discuss any existing serious allergies with your healthcare professional before being vaccinated.
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