From Thursday, April 27th, the next phase of booster shots will be launched for those in the highest risk groups – over 80s, residents in care homes, people with suppressed immune systems or those with serious risk of complications due to underlying medical conditions (to be certified by a doctor).

The vaccine campaign will be primarily aimed at residents in EHPAD care homes, but the extra dose will also be available to high-risk people living in other settings.  

Highest risk groups

Those fit one of the following groups can receive an extra vaccine booster, provided it has been more than six months since their last one.

• Aged 80 or over
• Resident of an EHPAD care home
• Those with a suppressed immune system (eg cancer patients)
• People at serious risk due to underlying medical conditions such as cancer, leukaemia or severe heart or respiratory problems. If they don’t fit in to one of the other priority groups, these people will need to see their doctor to get a prescription for the vaccine

Others

People who don’t fall into one of the above groups have been able to receive a second booster shot since September, when the autumn vaccine campaign was launched.

If you didn’t get an extra vaccine in the autumn, then it’s still available to get one now.

If you did have a second booster then (making a total of four doses for most people – a first and second dose of the vaccine, followed by two boosters) you are not eligible for an extra booster now.

Autumn campaign

It seems likely that future Covid vaccine campaigns will be similar to the annual flu vaccine campaigns – rolled out every autumn, targeted at high-risk groups but available to everyone in the later stages of the campaign.

That’s how the autumn 2022 booster campaign worked – initially offered to over 60s, people with long-term health conditions, their carers, pregnant women and healthcare workers, and then opened up to everyone. People who usually get the flu vaccine are encouraged to have the Covid booster as well, and this can be done at the same appointment.

At present, this is how the government envisages future campaigns, depending on the latest healthcare situation.

Where

If you do qualify for a vaccine, you can get it from your regular doctor, healthcare centres or pharmacies. Specialist Covid vaccine centres have now been closed down.