Covid-19 spring boosters from 1 April

Free Covid-19 boosters will be offered to Brighton & Hove adults aged 75 years and older, residents in care homes for older people and those aged 6 months and over with a weakened immune system this spring.

Covid-19 is more serious in older people and those with certain underlying health conditions. The NHS recommends that anyone who is eligible for the free vaccine should get the booster between 1 April and 17 June to top up their protection.

Getting the spring booster

The Brighton & Hove Federation (BHF) is working in partnership with certain GP practices to provide Covid-19 vaccinations across the city. If your practice is offering the free spring booster, your GP will contact you to book an appointment.

If your practice isn’t listed on the BHF website, but you are registered at another Brighton & Hove practice, BHF will contact you to book an appointment between 9am and 5pm at one of the following clinics:

• Charter Medical Centre (Saturday 5 April)
• Wellsbourne CIC (Sunday 6 April)
• St Peters Medical Centre (Saturday 12 April)
• Portslade Health Centre (Sunday 13 April)

You do not have to wait for an invitation and can visit the NHS website, use the NHS app or call 119 to book an appointment. People who turn 75 years old between 1 April and 17 June 2025 can also have the free vaccine.

BHF will be visiting care homes and housebound patients to give the booster to older adults from the 1 April.

Walk-in clinics

Various walk-in pop-up clinics will be arranged from Tuesday 15 April. Visit the BHF website for further details.

Councillor Jacob Allen, Cabinet member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Service Transformation, said: “A simple and quick vaccine can help keep you safe, so if you are eligible, remember to book your Covid-19 booster this spring.

“Our immunity against disease fades as we age, but getting vaccinated strengthens the body’s natural defences. Covid-19 can be serious for older adults and those with weakened immune systems, so if you care for or live with someone who is eligible, support them by making sure they are protected.”

Data from the UK Health Security Agency – based on the 2024 spring vaccination programme – showed that those who received a vaccine were more than 40% less likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid for up to two months after their booster, compared to those who did not receive one.

If you are not eligible for the free Covid-19 vaccine, certain pharmacies and private clinics sell and administer the vaccine.