What are the current recommendations for the COVID-19 booster vaccinations in adults, including timing and eligibility criteria?

Current recommendations for COVID-19 booster vaccinations in adults in the UK include:

• Booster vaccinations are recommended for all adults aged 18 years and over to reduce the risk of acute COVID-19 infection, following current government guidance and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) vaccination programme.
• The vaccines used for boosters in adults are mRNA vaccines: Moderna mRNA (Spikevax) at 50 micrograms per dose or Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty) at 30 micrograms per dose.
• The recommended booster vaccines for the autumn 2024 campaign are monovalent mRNA products targeting the spike protein of the JN.1 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant.
• Eligibility for booster doses includes adults aged 18 years and over, with particular emphasis on those at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19.
• Timing of booster doses should follow the UKHSA guidance in the Green Book, chapter 14a, and NHS England primary care guidance, which includes criteria for third primary doses and booster doses. Generally, vaccination should be deferred if the person is acutely unwell and ideally delayed until at least 4 weeks after recovery from COVID-19 symptoms or a positive PCR test in high-risk individuals.
• People with a history of anaphylaxis to a previous COVID-19 vaccine should not receive the same vaccine again; alternative vaccines may be used with appropriate observation.
• Vaccination should not be given to those with suspected current COVID-19 infection to avoid transmission, but vaccination of asymptomatic or incubating individuals is unlikely to worsen illness.

For full details on eligibility, timing, and vaccine choice, healthcare practitioners should refer to the UKHSA Green Book chapter 14a and NHS England primary care guidance.

Summary: Adults aged 18+ are eligible for COVID-19 booster doses using Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccines, with timing guided by clinical recovery and risk status, and vaccine choice tailored to allergy history and previous vaccine received ¹.