Booster doses are an important part of protecting yourself from COVID-19 if you're at higher risk from severe COVID-19.

Like some other vaccines, levels of protection may decline over time. Booster doses help boost your antibodies and give you good protection from becoming seriously ill or needing to go to hospital if you catch COVID-19.

Who can get the spring COVID-19 booster?

Following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), this spring’s eligible cohorts include:

  • Adults aged 75 years and over by 30 June 2024

  • Residents in care homes for older adults

  • Individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.

How do I make an appointment?

The NHS will invite those eligible, but you don’t need to wait for an invitation to book your COVID-19 vaccine in one of the following ways:

  • Download the NHS App and make an appointment
  • Visit www.nhs.uk/get-vaccine
  • Call 119 for free if you can’t get online (translators are available).

Parents or carers may book a COVID-19 vaccination for eligible children under 16 years on their behalf.

Pharmacy appointments

A number of South Yorkshire pharmacies are also offering walk in appointments. You can search for one near you here.

The service will find pharmacies offering walk-in COVID-19 vaccination services today.

You can check opening times and which age groups can use a site before visiting. Not all sites are open to children or young people under 16.

Some pharmacies can only offer COVID-19 vaccination at certain times, so you may be asked to wait or come back later.

Other languages

Easy read information

British Sign Language video

Getting your spring COVID-19 vaccination – British Sign Language

FAQs

Please see below for frequently asked questions.

COVID-19 vaccination is safe and effective. It gives you the best protection against COVID-19. Millions of adults and children around the world have had a COVID-19 vaccine.

The safety of the vaccines has been extensively reviewed in both adults and children by independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The vaccines continue to be monitored and reports of serious side effects are very rare.

Vaccination appointments start from Monday 22 April and will be available until 30 June 2024.

Tables 3 and 4 of the Covid-19 chapter of UKHSA the Green Book defines who is in a clinical risk group.

Clinical risk groups for individuals aged 16 years and over include:

•           Chronic respiratory disease

•           Chronic kidney disease

•           Chronic neurological disease, such as stroke and individuals with cerebral palsy, profound multiple learning disabilities, Down’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease and related or similar conditions.

•           Diabetes

•           Those with immunosuppression

•           Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen

•           Morbid obesity

•           Severe mental illness

•           Younger adults in long-stay nursing and residential care settings

•           Pregnant women

Clinical risk groups for those aged under 16 years include:

•           Chronic respiratory disease

•           Chronic heart conditions

•           Chronic conditions of the kidney, liver or digestive system

•           Chronic neurological disease

•           Endocrine disorders

•           Immunosuppression

•           Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen

•           Serious genetic abnormalities that affect a number of systems

•           Pregnancy

Like some other vaccines, levels of protection may begin to wane over time.

The booster helps to reduce your risk of catching COVID-19 or being admitted to hospital if you do.

Boosting your immunity should extend your protection and may give broader protection against new variants

The NHS vaccinates people in line with recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), as accepted by government

Studies have shown very high protection begins one or two weeks after receiving the booster jab.

The COVID-19 booster will reduce the chance of you becoming severely unwell from COVID-19. It may take a few days for your body to build up some extra protection from the booster. Like all medicines, no vaccine is completely effective. Some people may still get COVID-19 despite having a vaccination, but any infection should be less severe. 

COVID-19 vaccines are strongly recommended in pregnancy. Vaccination is the best way to protect against the known risks of COVID-19 in pregnancy for both women and babies, including admission of the woman to intensive care and premature birth of the baby. In the UK, all pregnant women are urged to book their latest COVID-19 booster vaccine as they are recognised as a clinical risk group.

It's safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine if you are breastfeeding.  You cannot catch COVID-19 from the vaccines and cannot pass it to your baby through your breast milk.