Protect yourself and your family
Getting vaccinated means protecting yourself and may also help to protect your family, friends and patients from the virus.
Continue to wash hands, cover face and make space
The COVID-19 vaccine is our best defence against the virus used alongside effective social distancing, wearing a mask and washing your hands.
A clinically approved vaccination
The vaccine has been developed and approved following a number of clinical trials involving thousands of people across the world.
Vaccine eligibility
The vaccine is now available to everyone over the age of 12. People aged 16 and over have been invited to attend for a vaccination and parents/guardians of children aged 12-15 will be contacted by their child’s school. Walk-in appointments are available for people over 16 across Birmingham and Solihull, without an appointment. Please visit our ‘Walk-in’ page for current locations.
COVID-19 booster vaccinations are currently being offered to eligible people. More information is available on our “What you need to know” page.
How the vaccine is given
The vaccine is given by injection into the arm or shoulder. You will be asked which arm you wish to have it in – we recommend if you are right-handed to have it in your left arm and vice versa. You will need two doses of the vaccine to gain the maximum protection. These doses will be given 8 weeks apart. One dose will provide considerable protection. The second dose completes the course and will be important for longer term protection.
Accessing a vaccination
In order to get the vaccine, you will either need to book an appointment at a local vaccination centre or visit a walk-in session. There are many centres across Birmingham and Solihull – you can choose to attend a Vaccination Centre (a large dedicated centre) or a Local Vaccination Service (such as a GP surgery or pharmacy taking part in the programme), whichever is more convenient to you.