Find out more about seasonal COVID-19 booster jabs
For the most up to date information, please visit the NHS website.
COVID-19 autumn booster
This autumn, you or your child may be offered a seasonal COVID-19 booster vaccination if:
• You are aged 65 years old or over (you need to be 65 years old by 31 March 2024 to be eligible)
• You are aged six months to 64 years old and are at increased risk (for instance if you have a heart or lung condition)
• You are living in a care home for older adults
• You are a frontline health or social care worker
• You are aged 16 to 64 years old and are a carer
• You are aged 12 to 64 years old and live with someone with a weakened immune system
If you are eligible, you can get a booster by booking online, through the NHS App or by visiting a walk in COVID-19 vaccination site.
If eligible, you might be contacted by a local NHS service, like your GP surgery, to arrange a vaccination for you or your child. This is often done by text or phone call, or you might get a letter, or receive a notification in the NHS App.
Booster jabs are an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccination. This is to help extend the protection offered by the primary COVID-19 vaccination course, as there is some evidence that the effectiveness of the vaccination wanes over time.
Boots will support NHS England to deliver the COVID-19 booster vaccinations and will be offering these at special vaccination hubs across some of our pharmacy stores. To book your first, second or a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, please visit the NHS booking system.
Will I be able to get a COVID-19 vaccination at Boots?
Boots opened its first COVID-19 vaccination site in Halifax on 14 January 2021. Today, we offer COVID-19 vaccinations at over 50 pharmacies across England.
Patients will be invited directly by the NHS to book their COVID-19 vaccination appointment at a range of locations across the country, including many Boots Pharmacies.
For the very latest information about the COVID-19 vaccination, please visit the government website.
For more information on our Northern Ireland COVID-19 Vaccination Service, and to book an appointment, please click here.
What is a vaccination?
A vaccination is a type of medicine that trains the body’s immune system to fight a disease. Unlike most medicines, which are designed to treat or cure diseases, vaccinations help prevent them.
How do vaccinations work?
Usually given as an injection, vaccinations teach your immune system how to create antibodies that protect you from diseases. It's much safer for your immune system to learn this through receiving a vaccination, rather than through catching a disease and treating it.
How long do vaccinations provide immunity for?
Immunity provided by a vaccination can vary. Some vaccinations – like for polio – can offer long-term protection (although a booster dose is often required), while other vaccinations – like for the flu – are needed every year. This is because some viruses, including the flu virus, change regularly, and new vaccinations are produced to match the latest versions.
About the COVID-19 vaccination
All COVID-19 vaccines are approved for use in the UK, have gone through clinical trials. Millions of people worldwide have had a COVID-19 vaccination and the safety of the vaccinations continues to be monitored.
Will I have to have the COVID-19 vaccination?
From meningitis to measles, there are lots of vaccinations that the NHS recommends we have. The NHS hasn’t made any vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccination, compulsory, but it’s important to remember that they’re a key part of keeping you safe and protected against certain illnesses.
