Information for people who are immunosuppressed
If you are aged 12 or over and have a severely weakened immune system, you will be offered a third dose and a booster (fourth dose) Covid-19 vaccine.
- the first two doses may not have given you as much protection as they can for people who do not have a severely weakened immune system
- a third dose may help give you better protection
- a booster (fourth dose) helps improve the protection you have from your first three doses of the vaccine. It helps give you longer-term protection against getting seriously ill from Covid-19
Who can get a third and booster (fourth) dose?
If you have a severely weakened immune system. This includes if you had or have:
- a blood cancer (such as leukaemia or lymphoma)
- a weakened immune system due to a treatment (such as steroid medicine, biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
- an organ or bone marrow transplant
- a condition that means you have a very high risk of getting infections
- a condition or treatment your specialist advises makes you eligible for a third dose and a booster (fourth dose)
You’ll usually be offered a third dose at least 8 weeks after you had your second vaccine.
You can get a booster (fourth dose) from 3 months (91 days) after your third vaccine.
Frequently Asked Questions about the third dose
This is being offered as a routine part of vaccination to people who are severely immunosuppressed due to treatment for conditions such as cancer or for those with long-term chronic conditions where their immunity is affected by medication.
People who have a severely weakened immune system as a result of treatment, may not have the same immune response to the vaccine, and therefore, it is recommended that a third dose will help reduce the risk of getting seriously ill or dying from Covid-19, and from spreading the virus.
The third dose is offered to anyone aged 12 years and over with severe immunosuppression, including those who are being treated for conditions such as cancer or for those with long-term chronic conditions where their immunity is significantly affected by regular medication.
You will be contacted by your consultant, hospital doctor or GP team who will discuss the timing of the third dose. When you can get in may depend on immunosuppressive therapies you are undergoing.
If your hospital consultant works at a hospital hub, with available vaccine supply, they should invite you to be vaccinated on site.
If you cannot be vaccinated at the hospital site, the consultant will write to your GP with advice on timing of a third dose and any impact this may have on your treatment. You will then get a clinical authorisation letter which you will need to take with you to your vaccine appointment.
Yes, you can get your third dose at a walk-in site, as long as you have your clinical authorisation letter.
You can then go to any centre your clinician has highlighted or, if not specified, to any Covid-19 vaccine centre offering walk-in vaccinations.
Find a walk-in Covid vaccine centre here.
You do not need to call your GP surgery or contact the hospital about this.
If you think you are eligible for a third dose and have not been contacted as yet, speak to your GP or Consultant.
No. The third dose is not the booster vaccine.
It is recommended that the third dose should be given at least 8 weeks after the 2nd dose and is part of the primary course of immunisation.
A booster jab is offered three months after the third dose.
You will get either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for your third dose.
If you had AstraZeneca for your first two doses, you will get this again.
For those aged 12 to 17, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is preferred.
You will get your third dose at least 8 weeks after the second.
Research shows that, 8 weeks provides the most benefits in terms of an immune response.
If, however, your GP or Consultant believes that an alternative interval should be offered, because of ongoing treatment or starting treatment which will suppress the individual’s immune system, then this timing may be altered.
If a patient, who is immunosuppressed has already received their booster dose, this dose will be re-categorised on NHS systems as their third dose..
You can ignore this letter if you have already had your booster dose as this will count as their third dose.
You can then get a further booster (fourth) dose after three months.
People with weakened immune systems need to wait 4 weeks after testing positive.