Find a walk-in coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination site

You can get a 1st and 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from a walk-in site if you are aged 5 years old or over, and turned 5 on or before 31 August 2022.

Children who turned 5 on or after 1 September 2022 can only get a 1st and 2nd dose of a COVID-19 vaccine if they're either:

• at high risk due to a health condition or because of a weakened immune system
• living with someone who has a weakened immune system

How long to wait between 1st and 2nd doses

Once you've had your 1st dose you need to wait a number of weeks before going to a walk-in site for a 2nd dose. You need to wait:

• 8 weeks (56 days) if you're 18 years old or over, or under 18 and considered to be in a high-risk group (see Doses for children and young people at high risk)
• 12 weeks (84 days) if you're aged under 18 years old and not considered to be in a high-risk group

Advice on COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years old

Information for children and young people is available on GOV.UK in various languages, Braille and Easy Read.

These resources are to help the parents or guardians of children make a decision about whether to get them vaccinated:

• GOV.UK: COVID-19 vaccination resources for children aged 5 to 11 years old

1st booster

If you've not had a 1st booster dose yet you can get it from a walk-in site now, if it's been 3 months (91 days) since your previous dose.

You also need to have completed your primary COVID-19 vaccination course: 1st dose, 2nd dose and an additional primary dose if you were told you needed one.

A 1st booster is available for people who are:

• aged 16 years old or over
• aged 12 to 15 years old and in a higher-risk group (see Doses for children and young people at high risk)

Seasonal booster

You can have a seasonal booster dose (autumn booster) if you are:

• aged 50 or over
• pregnant
• aged 5 and over and at high risk due to a health condition
• aged 5 and over and at high risk because of a weakened immune system
• aged 5 and over and live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• aged 16 and over and a carer, either paid or unpaid
• living or working in a care home for older people
• a frontline health and social care worker

You can get your seasonal booster (autumn booster) if it's been at least 3 months (91 days) since you had your previous dose.

If you have not had a 1st or 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine yet, you should get them as soon as possible.

If you have a severely weakened immune system you should get an additional primary dose before you get a booster.

If you have not had a 1st booster yet you do not need to wait. You can get a seasonal booster (autumn booster).

Some children aged 5 to 11 years old

Some walk-in sites are offering 2nd doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from 8 weeks (56 days) after their 1st dose for children in high-risk groups. This includes children aged 5 to 11 who:

• have a condition that means they're at high risk from COVID-19
• live with someone with a weakened immune system

Someone at the site will talk to you and check to make sure your child is eligible.

Parents or guardians of children in these groups will be sent a letter, text message or email from a GP or hospital specialist inviting their child for a 2nd dose of the vaccine. It can help to bring this with you.

For more information read the guide for parents of children aged 5 to 11 years of age at high risk on GOV.UK

Some young people aged 12 to 15 years old

If you're aged 12 to 15 years old you can get a 1st booster at a walk-in site 3 months (91 days) after you've completed your primary COVID-19 vaccination course if you have:

• a weakened immune system or live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• a severe problem with the brain or nerves, such as cerebral palsy
• Down's syndrome
• severe or multiple learning disabilities (or you're on the learning disability register)
• a condition that means you're more likely to get infections, such as some genetic conditions or types of cancer

To get a booster, you need to have completed your primary COVID-19 vaccination course: 1st dose, 2nd dose, and an additional primary dose if you were told you needed one.

You must bring a letter, text message or email from a GP or hospital specialist confirming that you are eligible for a booster dose. This letter, text message or email may have been sent to you, your parent or guardian or the person who needs a booster.

If you do not receive a letter, text message or email but you think that you're eligible, please contact your GP surgery.

You'll also need to confirm that you have read the COVID-19 vaccination consent form for children.

For more information read COVID-19 vaccination for at-risk children and young people aged 12 to 15 on GOV.UK.

If you're eligible, a GP or your hospital specialist should contact you to let you know you can get a 3rd dose. You might also get a letter from the NHS telling you that you might be eligible.

If you or your child are aged 5 or over, you can go to some walk-in vaccination sites to get your 3rd dose without needing an appointment.

Examples of things you can bring to show you're eligible include:

• a letter from your GP or hospital specialist inviting you to get the 3rd dose for people with a severely weakened immune system
• a hospital letter that describes the condition or treatment that caused you to have a severely weakened immune system at the time of your 1st or 2nd dose
• a repeat prescription or a medicine box with your name and the date showing when the medicine was prescribed – this must show that you had a severely weakened immune system at the time of your 1st or 2nd dose

If you or your child have tested positive for COVID-19, you need to wait a number of weeks before going to a walk-in site. You need to wait:

• 4 weeks (28 days) if you're aged 18 years old or over
• 12 weeks (84 days) if you or your child are aged 5 to 17 years old
• 4 weeks (28 days) if you or your child are aged 5 to 17 years old and at high risk from COVID-19, or live with someone who has a weakened immune system

This starts from the date the symptoms started, or the date of the positive test result, whichever was earlier.

If you or your child has symptoms of COVID-19, but have not had a test, wait until the symptoms are better to get a COVID-19 vaccine. You can talk to a healthcare professional at the site about this.