Covid-19 Spring Vaccination

COVID-19 can still be very dangerous and even life threatening, particularly for older people and those with a weakened immune system.

In line with expert advice, this spring the NHS is offering COVID-19 vaccines to people who are at increased risk of serious illness from the virus – including those aged 75 and over (by 17 June 2025), residents of care homes for older adults, and those with a weakened immune system (see the Green Book). 

The COVID-19 vaccines provide good protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and can protect those most vulnerable from death. 

Protection against COVID-19 (either from catching the virus or from a previous vaccination) can fade over time and the circulating strain of the virus can change, so if you are at higher risk of severe illness it is important that you top up your protection. 

The vaccine has saved countless lives, prevented thousands from needing to go to hospital and helped us to live with the virus without fear or restrictions.

If you or your child are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine this spring, make sure you come forward for this extra protection between 1 April – 17 June 2025.

The NHS will be sending out invitations but you do not need to be invited to book your COVID spring vaccine. You can check your eligibility and book online at www.nhs.uk/bookcovid.

Getting your COVID-19 vaccine is very convenient, with thousands of appointments available across the country every day (usually pharmacies and GP practices).

To book, you can:

• Download the NHS App and make an appointment
• Visit www.nhs.uk/book-vaccine
• Visit a walk in site. These can be found at www.nhs.uk/covid-walk-in
• Call 119 for free if you can’t get online (translators are available)
• You can find out the latest information about the COVID-19 vaccine at www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination 

UKHSA surveillance data on last spring’s programme showed that those who received a vaccine were around 45% less likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID-19 from two weeks following vaccination, compared to those who did not receive one.

Who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination?

JCVI advises the following groups to be offered a free COVID-19 vaccine this spring:

• Adults aged 75 years and over (this includes those who turn 75 years old by 17 June 2024).[1]
• Residents in care homes for older adults (people who are admitted to an older adult care home or become immunosuppressed by 17 June are also eligible).[1]
• Individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, this includes:

o   Individuals with primary or acquired immunodeficiency states at the time of vaccination due to certain conditions

o   Individuals on immunosuppressive or immunomodulating therapy at the time of vaccination

o   Individuals with chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease who were receiving or had received immunosuppressive therapy prior to vaccination

o   Individuals who had received high dose steroids for any reason in the month before vaccination

For the full criteria please refer to Table 3 and 4 of the Green Book. The criteria for additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine in those aged 12 years and above can be found in Box 1, while criteria for additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 6 months to 11 years can be found in Box 2.

Our future blog on criteria should also help you further understand who is eligible for the spring COVID-19 vaccine.

 

Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine even if I have not had any previous doses?

If eligible, you can get protection from a spring COVID-19 vaccination even if you have not taken up a COVID-19 vaccine offer in the past. Most people do not need extra vaccinations to make up for any they have missed, but your doctor may advise a further dose if you have a severely weakened immune system.

 

Can I choose which vaccine I have? 

COVID-19 vaccines authorised for use by the NHS are effective, provide a strong vaccine response and have good safety record. They have all met strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. These vaccines are regularly reviewed and updated to match circulating strains of COVID-19 where possible.

Please accept the vaccination that is offered to you as soon as you are able to – you will be offered the right vaccine for you at the right time.

 

Will I need the same type of COVID-19 vaccine as I had before? 

This programme is using the same vaccine as the autumn 2024 programme, but different vaccines to one you may have previously been offered for the spring programme.

The vaccines have been updated since the original vaccines and target a different COVID-19 variant. These updated vaccines boost protection well and give slightly higher levels of antibody against the more recent strains of COVID-19.

All COVID-19 vaccines authorised for use by the NHS are effective.

 

Can you still catch COVID-19 after having the vaccine?

The COVID-19 vaccine will reduce the chance of you becoming severely unwell. It may take a few days for your body to build up some extra protection from the vaccine. 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.

 

Are household contacts of eligible people eligible for the vaccine as well?

As with the Spring COVID-19 vaccine campaign in both 2022 and 2023, household contacts are not eligible. 

Infection with the Omicron variant is far less likely to lead to serious complications than earlier strains, and the current vaccines offer modest, short-term protection against mild disease. This means that the vaccines cannot help much to reduce the spread of infection. 

For the spring 2025 vaccine, JCVI is prioritising groups most vulnerable to serious outcomes from COVID-19 including those aged 75 or over, living in care homes, and those who are immunosuppressed. These individuals are at highest risk of severe COVID-19, and as time passes, their protection derived from vaccination in autumn 2023 will wane substantially before autumn 2024.

 

Who cannot take up the offer of a spring vaccine?

There are very few eligible people who should not have a dose this spring. If you have had a severe reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine you should discuss this with your doctor. You can get your seasonal COVID-19 vaccine three months after your last COVID-19 vaccine.