Based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice, the booster dose should only be given at a minimum of six months after an individual received their second primary dose. Therefore, those receiving the booster will only become eligible when passing the six-month mark from receipt of the second vaccination.
England
Frontline health or social care workers can book a booster dose appointment online, you do not need to wait to be contacted by the NHS. Pharmacists in England can click here to book appointments online.
Scotland
Eligible frontline health and social care workers can book their coronavirus booster online, by clicking here.
Eligible healthcare workers and social care workers may receive their flu vaccination with their coronavirus booster vaccine.
Wales
For PDA members in Wales, information from Public Health Wales states that frontline health and social care workers are eligible for the Autumn booster campaign. Those eligible for a Covid-19 booster vaccine will be contacted by the health board for an appointment. The advice is to wait to be contacted, however, PDA members may wish to look on their local health board website for more information, available here.
Northern Ireland
The vaccination programme will primarily be delivered by GPs and community pharmacies. Trusts will be vaccinating care home residents and their own frontline staff, for more information click here.
Community pharmacies will initially be vaccinating non-trust employed frontline health care staff before moving on to the eligible general population. Please contact your local community pharmacy for more information.
Confirming your status as a frontline healthcare worker
The PDA ensured that arrangements were put in place for locum pharmacists, as well as those employed in any area of practice, to arrange the initial vaccinations in each of the four UK nations. Arrangements for the Booster jabs should therefore reflect the previously inclusive arrangements.
However, should PDA members encounter difficulties the PDA ask that you let them know to enable them to contact the relevant body and resolve any barriers as soon as possible. At the start of the pandemic the PDA also made a personalised digital ID card available to help its members confirm their healthcare worker status during the Covid-19 crisis and this remains available if needed.
PDA members can access their personalised digital ID card here. After confirming your membership information, the link will open a personalised card confirming your role. The card includes the name of your regulator and your registration number. You may want to save the card on your phone or mobile device, so you have it to hand if you need to produce it.
Related links
- England – Book or manage a booster dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
- Scotland – Vaccinations for health and social care workers
- Wales – Eligibility for the vaccine
- Northern Ireland – Get Vaccinated
- Pharmacist ID
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists and for the first three months of being provisionally registered/newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.