Frequently Asked Questions about the COVID-19 Booster Programme

Most people will be offered a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or Moderna vaccine.

This means your booster dose may be different from the vaccines you had for your 1st and 2nd doses.

Some people may be offered a booster dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if they cannot have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.

You can pre-book your COVID-19 booster dose online via www.nhs.uk/covidvaccine or by calling 119 if it's been 2 months (61 days) since you had your 2nd dose and you are:

• aged 16 and over
• A frontline health or social care worker

You'll be offered appointment dates from 3 months (91 days) after the date of your 2nd dose.

You may not be able to book your booster through the National Booking Service via the above link or 119. To help patients in these two groups access their booster vaccine, we have shared template letters with all GP practices across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which can be completed by the GP Practice and given to patients as proof of eligibility.

Please note: Eligible people aged 16 or above should wait 4 weeks (28 days) after a positive COVID-19 test before receiving a booster COVID-19 vaccination dose. Young people aged 16-17 should ideally wait 12 weeks after having a positive COVID-19 test, or at least 4 weeks if they are at higher risk.

Boosters are being delivered through:

• Local vaccination services co-ordinated by those primary care networks who are part of the programme at present; and
• Large scale vaccination centres and community pharmacies across the country, ensuring people can access a booster dose regardless of where they live. 

We are also offering walk-in clinics at a range of locations. You can find these walk-in locations via www.thevaccinators.co.uk or book your booster via www.nhs.uk/covidvaccine or by calling 119.

The national COVID-19 vaccination booking service only shows sites where appointments are currently available. This means you will not see local sites on the national booking service website where they are fully booked at present.

If you cannot select a large scale vaccination site near you when you access the national booking service, you can either choose to book at an alternative location which still has appointments available, or try again later to see if appointments at a site that is nearer to you have become available.

You can also choose to walk in to have your booster at one of our booster walk-in sites. You can find sites that are offering booster walk-ins via www.thevaccinators.co.uk, or by visiting our CCG webpage regarding walk-ins here. 

The JCVI has advised that the flu and COVID-19 vaccines can be co-administered (given at the same time). In our area, co-administration may be offered if you are invited to have your booster at a GP-led vaccination hub. If you book your booster online via www.nhs.uk/covidvaccine or by calling 119, you will not be given the flu vaccine at the same time as your booster.

It is important people take up the offer of both vaccines when they receive it, so people are encouraged to get both vaccinations as soon as possible rather than waiting for the possibility of getting them together.