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

You can get a 1st or 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from a walk-in site if you or your child are 5 years old or over.

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

Boosters

You can get a booster dose from a walk-in site if it's been 3 months (91 days) since your 2nd dose and you're either:

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

Spring boosters

A spring booster of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is being offered to:

• people aged 75 years old and over (by 30 June 2022)
• people aged 12 years old and over who have a weakened immune system (find out more about who has a weakened immune system)

If it's been at least 3 months (91 days) since you had your last primary or booster dose, you can get a spring booster.

You'll usually be contacted by the NHS telling you to get a spring booster. If you have a letter or text message, bring it with you to the walk-in vaccination site. If you think you're eligible but do not have a letter or text, someone at the site with clinical training will talk to you to help make sure it's the right time for you to get your spring booster.

Children aged 5 to 11 years old at high risk

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.

Young people aged 12 to 15 years old at high risk

If you're aged 12 to 15 years old you can get a booster at a walk-in site 3 months (91 days) after your 2nd dose if you either:

• have a condition that means you'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 your to make sure your child is eligible.

You, your parent or guardian will be sent a letter, text message or email from a GP or hospital specialist confirming that you're eligible for a booster dose. It can help to bring this with you.

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 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.