COVID-19

You are no longer advised to test routinely for COVID-19, so the provision of free tests has stopped. Limited testing continues only for vulnerable individuals and in high-risk settings.

You could need to test if you:

• have a health condition which means you are eligible for COVID-19 treatments
• work in healthcare or adult social care, depending on your role and whether you have symptoms
• are going into hospital for certain types of treatment

Find out who can get a free NHS test

If you're eligible for the winter COVID-19 vaccine and are aged 5 years or over, you can book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment online or in the NHS App now.

From 1 October 2025, you may also be able to get vaccinated at:

• a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site
• a local service, such as a community pharmacy or your GP surgery
• your care home (if you live in a care home)

The NHS is sending out invitations to remind eligible people to come forward as soon as they can, but you do not need to wait for an invitation to book. You can book quickly and easily on the NHS website, NHS App, or by calling 119.

IMPORTANT: Housebound patients

If you, a friend or family member, is registered as housebound contact your GP to confirm that you will be given your COVID-19 vaccination at home. 

This will only happen IF you are already registered as 'housebound' with your GP - so check with them first. 

For more information check the section below: "What if I am housebound and cannot get out for a COVID-19 vaccination?"

COVID-19 vaccination is an important part of protecting yourself if you're at increased risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccines are offered because viruses change and protection fades over time. It's important to top up your protection if you're eligible.

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine can:

• help reduce your risk of getting severe symptoms
• help you recover more quickly if you catch COVID-19
• help reduce your risk of having to go to hospital or dying from COVID-19
• protect against different types of COVID-19 virus

The NHS National Booking System is now open for all eligible individuals to book their winter flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, with appointments starting from Wednesday 1 October 2025.

You can get the winter COVID-19 vaccine if you:

• are aged 75 or over (including those who will be 75 by 31 January 2026)
• are aged 6 months to 74 years and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment
• live in a care home for older adults

If you're eligible for the winter COVID-19 vaccine and are aged 5 years or over, you can book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment online or in the NHS App now.

From 1 October 2025, you may also be able to get vaccinated at:

• a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site
• a local service, such as a community pharmacy or your GP surgery
• your care home (if you live in a care home)

The NHS is sending out invitations to remind eligible people to come forward as soon as they can, but you do not need to wait for an invitation to book. You can book quickly and easily on the NHS website, NHS App, or by calling 119.

IMPORTANT: Housebound patients

If you, a friend or family is registered as housebound contact your GP to confirm that you will be given your COVID-19 vaccination at home.  This will only happen IF you are already registered as 'housebound' with your GP - so check with them first.

If you, or a family member, is registered as housebound at your GP practice then contact them first to confirm that you will be given a COVID-19 vaccination at home.

Please DO NOT ring our Patient Advice and Liaison Service team (PALS) as they will not be able to help you if you are not registered as ‘housebound’ with your GP.  Please contact your GP practice first, or ask an authorised friend or family member to do so.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

• To be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination in your home you must be registered as ‘housebound’ with your GP practice first.  Contact your GP practice to check this if you are unsure.

• In this instance “housebound” refers to anyone who is unable to leave their home due to physical or psychological illness. This includes those who require significant assistance to leave their home because of conditions such as frailty, disability, mental ill health, or being near the end of life.

• The person who comes to give you your COVID-19 vaccination at home may do so without making an appointment first.  This is because you are registered as housebound and expected to be at home.  If however you miss the vaccination person, e.g. due to a hospital visit, then contact your GP to arrange another visit.

• Your GP practice may arrange alternative healthcare services to provide your COVID-19 vaccination at home and they should inform you of who this is, for example a named pharmacy.  Contact your GP practice to check this if you are unsure.

• You are unlikely to be eligible as housebound if you regularly leave home, even with family, for example to go to a lunch club for shopping.  Therefore you will not be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination at home and you can book your appointment on the NHS App, by calling 119 or at a participating pharmacy or your GP practice.

• Your GP practice will not give anyone else in your home with a COVID-19 vaccination when they come to give you yours, unless they are also registered as housebound.  If they are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination but not housebound they can make a booking on the NHS App or by calling 119 or your GP practice.

It is safe to be vaccinated against COVID-19 if you are pregnant, trying for a baby or breastfeeding.

1 in 5 of the most critically ill patients hospitalised were pregnant people, as they are at higher risk of serious illness.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency provides further evidence that the vaccines are safe in pregnancy.

Please be aware that if you are pregnant, you will not be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination during the winter 2025 vaccination campaign unless you also have a weakened immune system. Your specialist or GP will let you know if you need to be vaccinated.

There are no immigration checks and you do not need an NHS number or GP registration to get treated or vaccinated for COVID-19.

You do not need an NHS number or GP registration to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and you are still entitled to a free vaccination without them. You can go to a walk-in vaccination centre or contact a GP practice and ask to book your COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient.

You will never be forced to have the COVID-19 vaccine and it does not affect your asylum or refugee status.

You can find out more on the government's COVID-19: Migrant’s health guide

The issue of pork ingredients in some vaccines has raised concerns among some groups, including Muslim, Jewish, vegetarian and vegan communities.

You can read the guidance here to provide information about vaccines that contain this product and the alternatives that may be available.

• If you are eligible for the flu or COVID-19 vaccine based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommendations, it is important to top up your protection, even if you have had a vaccine or been ill with flu or COVID-19 before, as immunity fades over time and flu and COVID-19 viruses change each year.

• The vaccines give you additional protection to that gained from previous infections. If you have had recent COVID-19 you will still get extra protection from the vaccine.​​​​

• The COVID-19 vaccine is given to top up the protection in those at higher risk from severe COVID-19 illness to help prevent people being hospitalised or dying from COVID-19

• During the pandemic, COVID-19 disproportionately affected those in older age groups, residents in care homes for older adults, and those with certain underlying health conditions, particularly those who are severely immunosuppressed which is why we vaccinate them regularly to ‘top up’ their protection.

The COVID-19 vaccine programme aims to reduce the number of people that get seriously ill and reduce the spread of the viruses.

The government decide which groups will be eligible for free vaccines on the NHS. Their decision is based on the independent advice of clinical experts in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) who review the latest clinical evidence and data.

The COVID-19 vaccines given in the UK are made by Pfizer.

• COVID-19 vaccines have a good safety record, and their side effects are generally mild and do not last for more than a few days.

• Your safety will always come first and there are rigorous safety standards that have to be met through the approval process.

• As with any medicine, vaccines are highly regulated products. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the official UK regulator are globally recognised for requiring the highest standards of safety, quality and effectiveness for medicines and vaccines.

• There are checks at every stage in the development and manufacturing process. Each of the vaccines are tested on tens of thousands of people across the world. They are tested on both men and women, on people from different ethnic backgrounds, and of all age groups.

If you think you’ve already had COVID-19, once you’ve recovered you should still get the vaccination as this is still be best way to protect you, your family, friends and the NHS from future COVID-19 infection.

Plus you will be helping others who may have a medical condition and be immunosuppressed. 

Most people who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine can have it, including if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

Some people are only offered certain vaccines – for example, if you're under 18 years old.

Children under 12 years old will be given smaller doses than older children and adults.

Most people with allergies can have the COVID-19 vaccine, including if you've had a mild allergic reaction to a previous dose, such as a rash, swelling, wheezing or hives.

If you've ever had an allergic reaction, tell the healthcare staff at your appointment before you're vaccinated.

If you're at risk of a severe allergic reaction, vaccination staff or your GP may refer you to an expert allergist or specialist to assess your risk.

They may advise you to have the COVID-19 vaccine at a specialist clinic or hospital where you can be monitored. This will only happen in rare cases – for example, if you have a history of anaphylaxis.

No.

All COVID-19 vaccines authorised for use by the NHS are effective and provide a strong booster response.

When you attend your appointment, the NHS will offer you a safe, effective vaccine.

The COVID-19 Pass system for travel closed on 4 December 2023.

A record of a COVID-19 vaccination is not now routinely being applied to NHS app records.

• If this changes in future COVID-19 programmes, then widespread information will be provided in the media and through the NHS.

• There are no longer any UK domestic requirements to demonstrate vaccination status, and no countries require proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of entry.

• If you still want to have proof of your vaccination, please refer to your GP who will have a record of this in your patient record, even though you may have had the vaccination at a walk-in centre or pharmacy. It may take 2-3 weeks for the details to be transferred to your GP patient record, and some GPs may charge for a letter of proof.

You can also search for individual country travel requirements about vaccinations on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice website here (non-NHS): Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)​​​​