This FAQ section contains our questions related to COVID-19 Vaccine coverage and eligibility.
To navigate to a different section of the FAQs, or go back to the main page, click on any of the links below:
- Back to main COVID-19 Vaccination webpage
- FAQ section on Vaccine safety and components
- FAQ section on Vaccine efficacy/effectiveness
- FAQ section on Practical queries around getting the vaccine
- FAQ section on Operational plans
Explainer: Priority groups for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
The order in which people will be offered a vaccine is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) – see an explainer video here.
To view or download a visual graphic listing the top 10 priority groups, please click on the image in this box.
We are currently vaccinating Priority Group 1-6.
Visit NHS.UK for a definition of who is included in the clinically extremely vulnerable (high risk) and clinically vulnerable (moderate risk) groups.
Questions on the priority groups
Healthcare professionals will apply clinical judgment to take into account the risk of COVID-19 exacerbating any underlying disease that a patient may have, as well as the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 itself.
Those who are included in the clinical risk groups 16 years of age and over who should receive the COVID-19 vaccine are:
Chronic respiratory disease
• Individuals with a severe lung condition
• including those with asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission,
• and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including chronic bronchitis and emphysema;
• bronchiectasis,
• cystic fibrosis,
• interstitial lung fibrosis,
• pneumoconiosis
• and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
Chronic heart disease and vascular disease
• Congenital heart disease,
• hypertension with cardiac complications,
• chronic heart failure,
• individuals requiring regular medication and/or follow-up for ischaemic heart disease.
o This includes individuals with atrial fibrillation,
o peripheral vascular disease or a
o history of venous thromboembolism.
Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic kidney disease at stage 3, 4 or 5,
• chronic kidney failure,
• nephrotic syndrome,
• kidney transplantation.
Chronic liver disease
• Cirrhosis,
• biliary atresia,
• chronic hepatitis.
Chronic neurological disease
• Stroke,
• transient ischaemic attack (TIA).
• Conditions in which respiratory function may be compromised due to neurological disease (e.g. polio syndrome sufferers).
o This includes individuals with cerebral palsy,
o severe or profound learning disabilities,
o Down’s Syndrome,
o multiple sclerosis,
o epilepsy,
o dementia,
o Parkinson’s disease,
o motor neurone disease and related or similar conditions;
o or hereditary and degenerative disease of the nervous system or muscles; or severe neurological disability.
Diabetes mellitus
• Any diabetes, including diet-controlled diabetes.
Immunosuppression
• Immunosuppression due to disease or treatment,
o including patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression,
o patients undergoing radical radiotherapy, solid organ transplant recipients, bone marrow or stem cell transplant recipients,
o HIV infection at all stages,
o multiple myeloma or genetic disorders affecting the immune system (e.g. IRAK-4, NEMO, complement disorder, SCID).
o Individuals who are receiving immunosuppressive or immunomodulating biological therapy including, but not limited to, anti-TNF, alemtuzumab, ofatumumab, rituximab, patients receiving protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors,
o and individuals treated with steroid sparing agents such as cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil.
o Individuals treated with or likely to be treated with systemic steroids for more than a month at a dose equivalent to prednisolone at 20mg or more per day for adults.
o Anyone with a history of haematological malignancy, including leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma
o and those with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis who may require long term immunosuppressive treatments.
o Most of the more severely immunosuppressed individuals in this group should already be flagged as CEV. Individuals who are not yet on the CEV list but who are about to receive highly immunosuppressive interventions or those whose level of immunosuppression is about to increase may be therefore be offered vaccine alongside the CEV group, if therapy can be safely delayed or there is sufficient time (ideally two weeks) before therapy commences.
o Some immunosuppressed patients may have a suboptimal immunological response to the vaccine (see Immunosuppression and HIV).
o Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
o This also includes conditions that may lead to splenic dysfunction, such as homozygous sickle cell disease, thalassemia major and coeliac syndrome.
Morbid obesity
Adults with a Body Mass Index ≥40 kg/m².
Severe mental illness
Individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or any mental illness that causes severe functional impairment.
Adult carers
o Those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance,
o Or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.
Younger adults in long-stay nursing and residential care settings
o Many younger adults in residential care settings will be eligible for vaccination because they fall into one of the clinical risk groups above (for example learning disabilities). Given the likely high risk of exposure in these settings, where a high proportion of the population would be considered eligible, vaccination of the whole resident population is recommended.
o Younger residents in care homes for the elderly will be at high risk of exposure, and although they may be at lower risk of mortality than older residents should not be excluded from vaccination programmes (see priority 1 above). For consideration of children under 16 see below
Cohort 6 does not included specific groups from particular professions/key workers.
Top of the priority list – as has always been the case – are care home residents and staff. Next in line are health and social care workers, and people aged 80 and over.
Then it’s people aged 75-79, followed by the 70-74 age group and anyone aged 16-69 who has a condition which makes them clinically extremely vulnerable.
Previously people who were invited for the vaccine had the option to choose to be vaccinated at mass vaccination centres, hospital hubs or pharmacy or wait to be contacted to be vaccinated at a local primary care site.
Mass vaccination centres and hospital hubs have larger capacity than local pharmacies or GP practices, but the larger centres may be far from where people live, and we find that those over 75 or 80 are more likely to find it difficult to travel to them or may be housebound – therefore it may take longer to get all of this group vaccinated.
If you are over the age of 70 or Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, and have still not been invited for your first vaccine you do not need to wait to be invited but can now contact the national booking service to book your jab by calling 119 or booking online at www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination where you can choose to be vaccinated at a larger vaccination centre or local pharmacy (if they are registered to issue vaccinations). Alternatively, if you would like to be vaccinated more locally you can now call your GP to make an appointment for you at a local primary care site. You will need your NHS number or your date of birth and post code to book through any of the above routes.
The new COVID vaccination advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published 30 December 2020, recommends that carers who are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance or are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer contracted COVID should be included in Priority 6 alongside people with underlying conditions. To make sure you are included in the Priority 6 group please ensure you are registered as a carer with your GP.
An extra 1.7 million people are expected to be added to the 2.3 million already on the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable shielding list as a result of a new population risk assessment which take a number of additional factors into consideration and how these might exacerbate a COVID infection. These individuals will be notified and those in this group who have not yet been vaccinated will now be prioritised urgently.
There will be some people with asthma who will be included in priority group 6. These are people who have severe asthma, that requires continuous or repeated use of systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission as outlined in Table 3 of COVID-19 Greenbook chapter 14a (publishing.service.gov.uk).
We acknowledge the anxiety amongst front-line workers, but it’s important to remember that the primary objective for this vaccination programme is to protect people from severe clinical disease rather than preventing transmission. The prioritisation by cohort in the JCVI reflects this. This is not a local decision and we will continue to deliver the vaccine as per the cohorts prioritised nationally.
If you are registered with a GP they identify into which priority group you will be categorised into and you will then be invited for a vaccine at the appropriate time.
Workers in the NHS or social services are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19. Healthcare workers and those working in social care (particularly in care homes) are at much higher risk of repeated exposure to the infection.
Catching COVID-19 reduces the number of staff working on the frontline, can put patients and co-workers at risk, and can lead to long term health complications for the individuals.
Staff can have COVID-19 without any symptoms and pass it on to family, friends and patients, many of whom may be at increased risk from Coronavirus. Being healthy doesn’t reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 or passing it on.
With the high rates of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to help stop the spread of coronavirus, to avoid pressure on the NHS and to keep health and social care workforce safe and healthy.
There is clear evidence that certain Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups have higher rates of infection, and higher rates of serious disease and mortality. The reasons are multiple and complex.
What is clear is that certain health conditions are associated with increased risk of serious disease, and these health conditions are often overrepresented in certain Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Prioritisation is being given to anyone with underlying health conditions, which in turn will provide for greater vaccination of BAME communities who are disproportionately affected by such health conditions.
Tailored local implementation to promote good vaccine coverage in Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups will be the most important factor within a vaccine programme in reducing health inequalities in these groups. The NHS will provide advice and information at every possible opportunity, including working closely with BAME communities, to support those receiving a vaccine and to anyone who has questions about the vaccination process.
Throughout the pandemic increasing attention has been given to reducing health inequalities and we have invested more than £4 million into research into Covid-19 and ethnic disparities so that we can go further.
The NHS is continuing to prioritise those which The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has decided will benefit the most – specifically those aged 80 and over, people who live and work in old age care homes, and health and social care workers.
From the 15 February priority group 5 (65-69 year olds) and 6 (individuals classified as clinically vulnerable) have been added to the list of those eligible to receive the vaccine.
It is very rare for anyone to have a serious reaction to the vaccine (anaphylaxis). If this does happen, it usually happens within minutes of receiving the vaccine where trained clinical professionals are on hand to attend to you immediately.
Anyone with a previous history of extreme allergic reactions will be issued the vaccine in a high controlled environment such as a hospital site. If you have a history of anaphylaxis reactions please discuss this with your GP when they contact you for your vaccine appointment and they will refer you to a more appropriate site.
Pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding can have the vaccine but should discuss it with a clinician to ensure that the benefits outweigh any potential risks.
Who cannot get the COVID-19 vaccine
Yes, if you are in a priority group identified by The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
The MHRA have looked at this and decided that getting vaccinated is just as important for you, even if you have already had COVID-19 . If you’ve recently tested positive for coronavirus – even if you have no symptoms – you should wait until 4 weeks after the date you were tested before getting the vaccine. Where you are suffering significant ongoing complications from COVID-19 you should discuss whether or not to have a vaccine now with a clinician.
If you are currently unwell and experiencing COVID-19 symptoms you should wait to receive a COVID-19 vaccine until four weeks after the date you tested positive.
Where you are suffering significant ongoing complications from COVID-19 you should discuss whether or not to have a vaccine with a clinician.
It is very rare for anyone to have a serious reaction to the vaccine (anaphylaxis). If this does happen, it usually happens within minutes of receiving the vaccine where trained clinical professionals are on hand to attend to you immediately.
Anyone with a previous history of extreme allergic reactions will be issued the vaccine in a high controlled environment such as a hospital site. If you have a history of anaphylaxis reactions please discuss this with your GP when they contact you for your vaccine appointment and they will refer you to a more appropriate site.
Pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding can have the vaccine but should discuss it with a clinician to ensure that the benefits outweigh any potential risks.
COVID and the flu vaccines
The flu vaccine does not protect you from COVID-19. Both are important and if you are eligible for both vaccines you should have them both. You should wait 7 days between the two vaccines – flu and COVID-19.
No, the COVID-19 vaccine will not protect you against the flu. If you have been offered a flu vaccine, please try to have this as soon as possible to help protect you, your family and patients from flu this winter.
Both are important and as you are eligible for both vaccines you should have them both. You should wait 7 days between the two vaccines – flu and COVID-19.
No. At the moment, it’s impossible to know how soon you will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are eligible for the flu vaccination, get it as soon as possible, if you haven’t already. It’s important that you are protected from the flu and the serious illness it can cause, as well as from the risk of having flu and coronavirus at the same time.
It is not essential to leave time between the flu and COVID-19 vaccine but it is recommended that there should be a gap of a week. We would always encourage anyone who is eligible but not yet taken up their flu jab to do so as soon as possible.