Booster jab Scotland: Who is eligible for the spring booster jab in Scotland and can you book?

The second round of booster vaccinations is already underway in Scotland.

Medical staff and volunteers prepare shots of the Moderna vaccine at an NHS Covid-19 vaccination centre on December 16, 2021. Photo: Leon Neal - WPA Pool/Getty Images.

Certain groups of people in Scotland have been offered their second booster vaccine since the beginning of March.

12.1 million doses have been administered in Scotland, with 76.5% of the population fully vaccinated, the highest percentage of any other British country.

The degree of protection from vaccines decreases over time, meaning that people will need to get booster jabs to remain as protected from Covid-19 as possible and reduce the chance of serious illness and hospitalisation.

Spring ushers in a new round of booster vaccines. Photo: Habibur Rahman.

Here’s all you need to know about whether you can get the spring booster jag and how it works.

Who is eligible for the spring booster jab in Scotland?

The Spring booster will be offered to over-75s, care home residents, and all immunosuppressed individuals over the age of 12.

These groups will become eligible for a second booster dose around six months after the last dose of the vaccine and at least three months should have passed since the first booster.

“Vaccination has been our most effective tool against coronavirus,” health secretary Humza Yousaf said. “However, the degree of protection offered wanes over time, which is why booster vaccination is needed to maintain the best protection against Covid-19 for those at highest risk of severe effects of the virus.

"The additional booster dose will improve your level of protection significantly and is the best way to protect your health and those around you.

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

Can you book the spring booster jab in Scotland?

Invitations will be sent out for the spring booster jabs, with preference given to the vulnerable groups listed above.

You don’t need to do anything in order to get your booster jab, as NHS Scotland will contact you to arrange an appointment.

NHS Scotland also stated that people may be offered another dose in the autumn, alongside the annual flu vaccine.

If you have only had two doses of the vaccine and have not yet had any booster doses, you can book your first booster jab via this online portal.