UHNM Vaccination Hospital Hub

Covid Booster FAQs

Will I be able to book an appointment for just my flu/Covid-19 vaccine booster if I have received another in the community?

There is one booking system for both vaccination boosters and staff will be invited on a drop down menu to book for either

Flu only
Covid-19 only
Both

However, a staff member will be able to receive both vaccines at their appointment once they are with their vaccinator, even if they only booked for one.

What if I develop chills, a temperature, or generalised muscle pain, within a few days after an injection with the COVID-19 vaccine?

Some side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine may mimic a Covid-19 infection or the flu. If you develop any of the above symptoms within a few days after vaccination, it is best that you stay home and self-monitor until the symptoms have resolved. Although feeling feverish is not uncommon for two to three days, a high temperature would be unusual. Remember that if you do not have any immunity to Covid-19 prior to your vaccination, you will not be protected against Covid-19 until at least fourteen days after receiving your first dose of vaccine.

If the symptoms do not resolve within a few days or you develop other symptoms such as a sore throat, a persistent cough, a loss of smell or taste, or a high fever, then you should self-isolate with your household and arrange a virus nose-throat swab Covid-19 PCR test.

What should I do if I develop side effects?

Headache, injection-site pain, and joint and muscle pain are common. You can take the normal dose of paracetamol (follow the advice in the packaging) and rest to help you feel better. Do not exceed the normal dose. These symptoms normally last less than a week. If your symptoms seem to get worse or if you are concerned, call NHS 111.

If you do seek advice from a doctor or nurse, make sure you tell them about your vaccination so that they can assess you properly. You should report suspected side effects of vaccines and medicines, especially those that keep you from attending work or unusual/prolonged side effects, through the Yellow Card scheme. You can do this online by searching Coronavirus Yellow Card or by downloading the Yellow Card app.

What if I have a runny or clogged nose, or a headache, without any of the symptoms listed above?

You do not need to self-isolate nor contact the Empactis line because of a runny or clogged nose or a headache. You should test yourself twice weekly every three to four days with a LFD test. If you develop a runny or clogged nose or a headache on a day that you do not have a LFD test scheduled, then you may perform an extra LFD test on that day, and, if negative, come to work and resume your original test schedule even if your symptom persists. If the LFD test is positive, then self-isolate with your household and contact the Empactis line as described, and inform your line manager.

Before you book your appointment

Before you book your appointment please make sure that:

You have had dose 1 and dose 2 of a covid-19 vacccine
You had dose 2 more than 6 months ago
If you have recently been COVID positive, you must wait 28 days from positive PCR test before booking the booster jab

Will both jabs be given in the same arm?

No, the flu jab and covid booster will be given in separate arms

What vaccine will I be given?

Staff who are having their third dose of COVID-19 vaccination at the UHNM will be offered the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine only.

Translated versions for the winter flu and the COVID-19 resources

COVID-19 autumn booster resources:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-autumn-booster-resources
Paper copies of the English version of this leaflet are available free to order or download.
This leaflet has been translated into the languages below and are available to download. For paper copies of translations and alternative formats please order quantities required and these will be dispatched as soon as they are available.
Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional, Cantonese), Estonian, Farsi, French, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Panjabi, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Romany, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Ukrainian, Urdu, Yiddish and Yoruba.
An English large print version is available to order.
A Braille version of this leaflet is available to order.
British Sign Language (BSL) videos on COVID-19 vaccination are available to view or download.
An audio version is available to download.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-women-of-childbearing-age-currently-pregnant-planning-a-pregnancy-or-breastfeeding
Paper copies of the previous version are available free to order or download in the following languages and formats:
English, English large print, Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional, Cantonese), Estonian, Farsi, French, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Panjabi, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Romany, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Ukrainian, Urdu, Yiddish and Yoruba.
An easy-read version of this leaflet is available for people with a learning disability and their carers.
British Sign Language videos are available to view and download.
A Braille version of this leaflet is available to order.
An audio version is available to download.
A quick links poster with QR codes to the COVID-19 vaccination: a guide on pregnancy and breastfeeding and the Pregnancy: how to help protect you and your baby leaflets is available to download.

Winter flu:

All of the above available to order from https://www.healthpublications.gov.uk/Home.html or call 0300 123 1002