Updated: 31 January 2025
Use this NHS website to find which pharmacies in England offer free Covid-19 rapid lateral flow tests.
2024/25 winter COVID-19 vaccinations will not be available after 31 January 2025. COVID-19 vaccinations will be available again in Spring. The NHS will contact you if your NHS record suggests you may be eligible.
The MELODY study has shown that it’s important for people who are immunosuppressed to take up each offer of Covid-19 vaccination, as additional doses increase the likelihood of developing antibodies. The group’s newly published paper shows that developing antibodies reduces a person’s risk from Covid-19 and antibody testing can identify people at greater risk and target future protective treatments. The study found:
- Four out of five people with transplants developed antibodies after three or more Covid-19 vaccines. One in five people did not develop antibodies.
- People with antibodies were less likely to get Covid-19 (30% fewer infections) and less likely to be admitted to hospital in relation to Covid-19 (60% fewer hospitalised).
- Across the whole study, fewer than 1 in 2,000 people with organ transplants died following a Covid-19 infection. The small numbers of people dying from Covid-19 meant it was not possible to understand whether people with antibodies were more or less likely to die from Covid-19.
- This study showed that it’s possible to test whether or not people develop antibodies after a Covid-19 vaccine, which means in the future it might be possible to identify who would benefit most from preventative Covid-19 treatments that become available. This is important because it helps to target treatment and protect those most at risk.