COVID-19 Autumn Booster Vaccination Programme
Colleagues who are eligible for the Autumn COVID-19 vaccination can now book an appointment online or through the NHS App.
Appointments will begin from 1st October 2026.
You can book your vaccination via:
- The NHS website COVID-19 vaccination appointment online – NHS
- The NHS App NHS App – NHS
From 1st October 2026, you may also be able to receive your vaccination at:
- A walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site
- A community pharmacy
- Your GP surgery
- Other local vaccination services
Vaccination continues to provide important protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death caused by COVID-19. According to UKHSA dashboard data, there were approximately 16,000 COVID-19-related hospital admissionsbetween October 2025 and January 2026.
Further information: COVID-19 | UKHSA Data Dashboard COVID-19 | UKHSA data dashboard
Eligibility For Autumn 2026, COVID-19 vaccination is offered to:
- Individuals aged 6 months and overwho are immunosuppressed.
- Adults aged 75 years and over
- Residents of care homes for older adults
Eligibility is the same across all four UK nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The vaccine should be offered no sooner than six months after your last COVID-19 vaccine dose. If you are eligible, you can still benefit from an Autumn COVID-19 vaccination even if you have not accepted a COVID-19 vaccine previously.
Immunosuppression Eligibility
Determining eligibility based on immunosuppression can be more complex than the other criteria. Information available online can sometimes create confusion, as individuals may consider themselves, or be considered by others, to be immunosuppressed but may not meet the specific eligibility criteria for vaccination.
Full eligibility criteria are outlined in the COVID-19 Green Book Chapter 14a, published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). the COVID-19 Green Book
This document is freely available to download; however, it contains approximately 34,500 words, spans fifty-three pages, and includes extensive tables, references, and appendices. As a result, it can be difficult for non-specialists to interpret.
To assist colleagues, some of the eligible groups are summarised below:
- Organ, bone marrow, or stem cell transplant recipients
- Individuals receiving systemic steroid treatment for longer than one month.
- People living with HIV.
- Individuals receiving immunosuppressive or immunomodulating biological therapy, including children due to start treatment.
- Individuals undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
- Those requiring long-term immunosuppressive treatment.
- Individuals with a history of haematological malignancies, including chronic leukaemia and lymphoma.
- Individuals with genetic disorders that affect the immune system.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and does not cover all eligible groups.
Vaccine Effectiveness
Evidence indicates that the Autumn 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme provided its highest level of protection against hospitalisation between five and nine weeks after vaccination, with vaccine effectiveness estimated at 47.6% during this period. There is also evidence that protection persisted for more than 35 weeks following vaccination.
As specific infection and hospitalisation data for immunosuppressed individuals are not routinely available, it is recommended that anyone undertaking vulnerable person risk assessments should continue to be informed by overall COVID-19 trends and current public health guidance.
Please note: Eligibility for the Autumn COVID-19 vaccination programme is determined by NHS criteria and may be subject to change in line with updated guidance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Department of Health and Social Care. Colleagues are encouraged to check the latest NHS guidance or speak to their healthcare professional if they are unsure about eligibility for themselves or family members.
This LTB is shared on behalf of CWU Central Services.
If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact-
Jamie McGovern FRSPH MIIAI
CWU Health & Safety Policy Assistant at jmcgovern@cwu.org.
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