COVID-19: Vaccination Information for 75’s and over

Booster vaccines update

People aged 75 years and older, residents in care homes for older people, and those with weakened immune systems will be offered a spring booster of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Appointments will be available from the National Booking Service shortly.

Who is being offered a spring booster?

COVID-19 is more serious in older people and those with a weakened immune system. Protection from the vaccine may be lower and may decline more quickly in these people. For this reason people aged 75 years and over, those in care homes and those aged 12 years and over with a weakened immune system are being offered the spring booster.

Although vaccines are expected to provide good protection against severe COVID-19 disease, protection against mild infection with the Omicron variant seems to decline quickly, even after the booster dose.

This spring booster is being offered as a precaution to those at extremely high risk, most of whom received their first booster around 6 months ago. If the number of infections increases over the summer, this booster should help to reduce your risk of being admitted to hospital with COVID-19.

Timing of the spring booster

You should be offered an appointment around 6 months (and not before 3 months) since your last dose of vaccine.

Which vaccine will you be offered?

You will be given a booster dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Both vaccines boost well and have already been given to millions of people in the UK.

Studies have shown that you only need a half dose of Moderna to boost the immune system well. This half dose of Moderna is expected to have a low rate of side effects including myocarditis.

You will be offered the right vaccine for you, which may be the same or different from the vaccines that you had before.

Who cannot take up the offer of a spring booster

There are very few people who should not have this booster.

If you have had a severe reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine you should discuss this with your doctor.

Last updated on the 9th of May 2022