Please follow the contact details information provided in the appointment letter or reschedule online at www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/invitations-and-appointments/rearrange-or-opt-out-of-your-coronavirus-vaccination-appointment.

No. Do not call the main NHS Grampian switchboard as they will not be able to make an appointment for you or change your appointment and you may also prevent other urgent calls getting through. Please phone the number on your appointment letter if you need to make any changes.

No. Do not call your GP as they will not be able to make an appointment for you or provide your vaccine certificate and you may also prevent other urgent calls being able to get through. Please phone the number on your appointment  letter if you need to make any changes.

You can request a printed copy of your vaccination status online at https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/after-your-vaccine/get-a-record-of-your-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-status or by phoning the COVID-19 Status Helpline on 0808 196 8565. The helpline is open every day from 10.00am to 6.00pm.

Yes. You can still spread the virus, so it is important that we all continue to follow the latest government advice.

For further information on Covid-19 Symptoms and what to do visit- Coronavirus (COVID-19) self-help guide | NHS inform

Clinics have been set up across Grampian. Please visit our Vaccination Centres page to find out more.

No. Boosters are currently only offered by appointments.

All COVID-19 vaccination clinics are accessible to those with mobility issues.

Language Line is available at all vaccination appointments. This is a telephone-based interpretation service which gives staff access to expert interpreters, on the telephone, in 60-90 seconds, for over 170 different languages.

Also available:

• Portable hearing loops
• A quiet space/room
• All sites are wheelchair accessible
• All sites have access to language line

Yes – please wear a face covering while travelling to and from and during your appointment unless you are exempt.

Please arrive on time for your appointment and not too early. Due to physical distancing requirements we are limited to how many people are allowed into buildings, so if you arrive too early for your appointment you may be asked to queue outside.

The vaccination clinics are being held at a range of community venues across Grampian. Car parking will be available near or at the location.

Please attend on your own unless you require the assistance of a carer. A carer may attend the appointment with you for support and both you and your carer should wear a face covering. You can also bring young children with you if you don’t have childcare options.

The Booster will be given as an injection in the upper arm. The COVID-19 booster will be given in one dose. The booster will be given 24 weeks after the second dose. During vaccination, strict infection prevention and control measures will be in place. It will only take a few minutes to get the COVID-19 booster.

If you or a member of your household displays any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a new continuous cough, fever of over 37.8°C or loss of sense of taste or smell, please do not attend this appointment. Instead isolate according to current Scottish Government guidance and rearrange the appointment once you are well.

Please contact the telephone number provided in your appointment letter to rearrange your appointment if any of the following apply: –

• you have had COVID-19 infection less than 4 weeks prior to your appointment
• you are participating in a clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine
• you have had any other vaccination in the 7 days before your appointment,
• you have been advised to self-isolate or if you are awaiting the result of a COVID-19 test.

The purpose of your appointment is to attend for a COVID-19 booster vaccination. Please do not ask the vaccinators about other health concerns.

For further information on COVID-19 symptoms and how to book a test visit NHS Inform Coronavirus (COVID-19): General advice | NHS inform

Yes. Even if you’ve already had COVID-19, you could still get it again. The booster will reduce your risk of getting COVD-19. If you do get it again, the booster can reduce how serious the symptoms will be.

If you have recently tested positive for COVID-19 – even if you have no symptoms – you should wait until four weeks after the date you were tested to get the vaccine.  If your appointment falls in the isolation period, then follow the instructions on your appointment letter to rearrange.

Yes. The COVID-19 booster can now be given with your annual flu vaccine.

There are very few people who cannot get the COVID-19 booster.

The vaccine should not be given to:

• People who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 21 days.
• Those who have had their second COVID-19 vaccine less than 24 weeks ago. 

The vaccinator will check that it is safe for you to have the vaccine at your appointment. If you are unsure about anything, or have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, call 0800 030 8013 (available 8am–8pm, 7 days a week). Please note this is a general information line and it will not be possible to book or change your vaccination appointments via this helpline.

Some people may experience side effects after the booster. These are usually mild and may include:

• tenderness, swelling and/or redness at the injection site
• headache, muscle ache
• feeling tired
• fever (temperature above 37.8°C).

A less common side effect is swelling of the glands. This starts a few days after the vaccine and may last for up to two weeks. This is to be expected and is a sign of the immune system responding to the vaccine.

If you feel uncomfortable, take Paracetamol. Make sure you take Paracetamol as directed on the label or leaflet.

It’s quite common to develop a fever after a booster vaccination. This normally happens within 48 hours of the booster and usually goes away within 48 hours.

You do not need to self-isolate or book a COVID-19 test unless you have other COVID-19 symptoms or:

• you have been told by NHS Test and Protect that you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
• you live with someone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19
• you live with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19.

If the fever starts more than 48 hours after the vaccination or lasts longer than 48 hours, you should self-isolate and book a COVID-19 test. This can be done at NHS Inform.

As with all vaccines, you can report suspected side effects through the Yellow Card Scheme. You can report side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines online at Yellow Card.

You can also call the Yellow Card hotline on 0800 731 6789.  This hotline is available Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm.

If you have any concerns about your health please contact your GP, or NHS 24 on 111.

You cannot catch COVID-19 from the booster. It is possible to have caught COVID-19 and have had no symptoms when you attended your vaccination appointment.  If you do develop symptoms of COVID-19 symptoms after your vaccination that last longer than 48 hours please follow self-isolation guidance and book a test via NHS Inform. This can be done at NHS Inform.

Pregnant women should now be offered vaccination at the same time as non-pregnant women, based on their age and clinical risk group. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are the preferred vaccines for pregnant women of any age, because of more extensive experience of their use in pregnancy.

Pregnant women who commenced vaccination with AstraZeneca vaccine, however, are advised to complete with the same vaccine. Clinicians (such as obstetricians, mid-wives, GPs or other healthcare professionals authorised to offer COVID-19 vaccination) should discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with the woman, who should be told about the limited evidence of safety for the vaccine in pregnancy.

For the latest guidance on pregnancy, breastfeeding and the COVID-19 vaccine visit:

NHS Inform
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine | NHS inform