Scotland announces Autumn/Winter COVID-19 booster programme

Additional doses will be given from September

A further booster vaccination will be offered to those at highest risk of severe COVID-19 disease from September, in line with other nations in the UK. 

Following final advice on the autumn/winter booster programme from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the following groups will be offered an additional dose in a community clinic:

• residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults 
• frontline health and social care workers
• all adults aged 50 years and over
• those aged 5 to 49 years in a clinical risk group, including pregnant women  
• those aged 5 to 49 years who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression
• carers aged 16-49 years

Where possible, these boosters will be given at the same time as the flu vaccination to those who are eligible.

As with previous campaigns, vaccinations will be offered first to frontline health and social care workers and those who are most vulnerable to the effects of the virus. Letters will be sent out to the first eligible groups next month with appointments beginning in September.

Discussions on the details of the delivery timetable are underway with health board partners and more information will be made available in due course.  However in the meantime, those eligible for a booster need not do anything. 

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The vaccination programme in Scotland continues to be a huge success and this is testament to the efforts of everyone involved in its delivery and all those who took up their appointment offers.  

“Vaccination has been our most effective tool against coronavirus. However, the degree of protection offered wanes over time.

“We know that those in high-priority groups are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and I therefore welcome this latest advice from the JCVI and can confirm that boosters will be offered to all those in eligible groups.

“The additional booster dose will improve your level of protection significantly and is the best way to protect yourself, your family and of course the NHS when we head into the busy winter months.

“I continue to encourage everyone to receive the doses they are eligible for as and when they become available.”