Updated: 28 March 2025
The NHS national booking system has opened for eligible people in England to book in their spring Covid-19 vaccination. The online booking system opened for people to get a date in their diary for appointments starting from Tuesday 1 April.
Those eligible for this year’s spring Covid-19 vaccine include adults aged 75 years and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and people with a weakened immune system who are at a greater risk from severe illness.
In Scotland and Wales, letters, texts and emails are being sent to eligible people to invite them to book a vaccine appointment from 1 April.
In Northern Ireland, appointments will become available from Monday 7 April and can be booked online.
Use this NHS website to find which pharmacies in England offer free Covid-19 rapid lateral flow tests.
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.