Covid booster: Who can get the fourth jab and how do you book it?

Older and vulnerable people across the UK are entitled to an extra booster jab against Covid this spring.

All children aged five to 11 are also being offered two doses of a reduced-strength vaccination.

Who is being offered an extra booster dose?

Across the UK, a second booster is being offered to:

You can book an appointment online three months (91 days) after your previous dose. However, to get maximum protection, the NHS recommends having the spring dose around six months later.

A wider group of people will be offered an autumn booster, although the details of that programme haven't yet been confirmed.

How long after Covid can I get the booster?

You should wait four weeks from the date of a positive test before having your jab, even if you have no symptoms.

Under-18s who aren't at high risk from Covid should wait 12 weeks after a positive test.

You shouldn't have the booster if you have a severe illness or high fever. However, patient information from Pfizer and Moderna says you don't need to delay for a mild fever or a cold.

The vaccines don't infect you with Covid, and can't cause positive results on a lateral flow or PCR test.

Which children are being vaccinated?

All five to 11-year-olds in the UK can have a low-dose Covid vaccine.

Children whose parents decide to take up the offer will be given two 10 microgram doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, at least 12 weeks apart.

In addition:

How do I book my Covid vaccine?

You can book jabs online, or go to a walk-in clinic, although not all centres are offering jabs to five to 11-year-olds so you may wish to check first.

You need to leave eight weeks between your first and second doses, and wait a further 12 weeks before a booster.

Parents and guardians of five to 11-year-olds in Scotland and Wales should wait to be offered an appointment.

Care workers in England no longer have to be vaccinated against Covid.

The government scrapped plans to make the Covid jab mandatory for NHS staff in England.

What vaccine will I get?

First and second doses are either AstraZeneca or (for under-40s) Pfizer or Moderna.

Boosters are a single dose of either Pfizer or Moderna - regardless of which vaccine you received before.

However if you cannot have Pfizer or Moderna for medical reasons, you can have a booster dose of AstraZeneca.

Two other vaccines have also been approved for use in the UK - Janssen and Novavax, but these haven't been given to UK patients.

What are the side effects?

The most common side effects include a sore arm, headache, chills, fatigue and nausea.

They are part of the body's normal immune response to vaccines and tend to resolve within a day or two.

There are extremely rare, but occasionally fatal, cases of people developing blood clots after taking the AstraZeneca vaccine.

A very small number of people have experienced a severe allergic reaction after the Pfizer vaccine.

You should discuss any existing serious allergies with your healthcare professional before being vaccinated.