Since the first roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations in the UK in 2020, there have been regular vaccine programmes at different times of year offered to different people, depending on a person’s individual risk of serious illness from coronavirus.
Each time a vaccine programme is planned, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises the government about who should be offered a vaccine.
Over the past few years, the rates of serious illness and hospitalisation from coronavirus have significantly reduced, though there are still some groups of people at higher risk of more severe infection.
From Autumn 2025, the eligibility for a Covid-19 vaccination in England is changing, compared to recent years.
The JCVI have said: “In the current era of high population immunity to Covid-19, additional Covid-19 doses provide very limited, if any, protection against infection and any subsequent onward transmission of infection.”
The government has therefore decided that, from Autumn 2025, only the following groups of people will be offered a Covid-19 vaccination in England:
- adults aged 75 years and over
- residents in a care home for older adults
- individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the Covid-19 chapter of the Green Book (page 24-26)
This means that, from Autumn 2025, children and adults in England living with long-term health conditions, including diabetes, who do not fall into one of the above groups will no longer be offered a Covid-19 vaccination.
This does not affect flu jab eligibility and people living with diabetes will still be offered a winter flu jab as normal in 2025.
No changes have currently been made to plans for Autumn vaccine programmes in the rest of the UK, but we will update this page if more information becomes available.
Who can get coronavirus vaccines?
Find out more about the groups eligible for the jab from the NHS website.
If you're unsure about this or have questions about getting the jab, speak to your GP or healthcare team.
The relevant health services for all four nations will each separately determine how and when eligible people can access the vaccine.
Stay up to date with the latest in your area:
If you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes
If you have developed a new condition, including diabetes, discuss your vaccination requirements with your diabetes team who will assess your needs.
Young children and infants
For the vast majority of children, coronavirus causes mild symptoms or sometimes no symptoms. But for a small group of children with health conditions, it can lead to more serious illness. Getting the vaccine is the best way to protect against this.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding
Your healthcare team should talk you through the risks and benefits of getting the vaccine if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. We strongly encourage you to get the vaccines if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Find out more about the government's advice on Covid-19 vaccinations: a guide for all women of childbearing age, pregnant or breastfeeding. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) also has guidance on coronavirus vaccines in pregnancy.
How do I get the coronavirus vaccine?
You may be invited by the NHS to receive a vaccine, but you do not need to wait for an invite – if you are eligible, you can ask your GP practice or pharmacy that offers vaccinations when you can book an appointment.
You can arrange your flu and Covid-19 vaccinations for the same appointment.
Get more information about how to get a Covid-19 vaccine on your local NHS website:
Are the vaccines safe?
We know that some people may still be worried about how quickly the coronavirus vaccines were developed. But this was possible because scientists, governments and industry all around the world focused their attention on this one shared goal.
All the vaccine trials included the usual number of participants and no stages of development and testing were rushed or skipped. The joint worldwide effort to find a vaccine allowed for funding and approval processes to be fast-tracked, and manufacturing to begin early. This, alongside using existing technologies in the vaccine development, is why they were developed more quickly than usual.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also continue to monitor the vaccines over time and make sure vaccinations follow a very high standard. And it’s also useful to know that the vaccines have been tested in men and women of different ages and ethnicities, with a range of health conditions.
Vaccine side effects
Not everyone taking the vaccine will have side effects. If you do have any, they are usually very mild. They normally won’t last longer than around 48 hours.
The common side effects are:
- a sore arm where you had your vaccine
- feeling tired
- headaches
- aches
- feeling or being sick.
If you don’t feel well, it’s really important that you stick to any sick day rules recommended by your diabetes team. If you are concerned about symptoms, contact your healthcare team.
Vaccines and blood sugar levels
Taking the vaccine could effect your blood sugar levels, some people have reported them going up or down.
When you get the vaccine, your body will start to produce what’s called an immune response. This may include your body releasing some extra glucose from its stores. This is nothing to worry about. Your body is just reacting to the vaccine because the vaccine is new to you.
Find out more about managing high blood sugars.
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Some people report significant hypos. We are not sure why this is, but the advice for anyone having a vaccine is to test blood sugars more often.
If you’ve had an allergic reaction to vaccines
If you’ve had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine or food before, it’s safe to have any of the coronavirus vaccines unless you’re allergic to the specific vaccine ingredients.
Your GP will talk this through with you if you have a history of allergic reactions and monitor you for about 15 minutes after the jab. Speak to your healthcare team if you’re worried about this or have more questions about your previous reactions.
What the vaccines are made of
The coronavirus vaccines do not contain meat, egg or any animal products. The vaccines are halal and kosher.
There’s a very small amount of alcohol in some of the vaccines, around the same as there is in bread. We call this negligible, because it won’t have any effect on your body. The vaccines are still halal because the alcohol in them is at a concentration of much less than 1%. The alcohol is there to preserve the vaccine ingredients, to make sure it works.
The vaccines contain the blueprints for making tiny fragments of coronavirus. This triggers the immune system to react and start making antibodies that are ready to protect you if you later catch coronavirus.
Vaccines also contain other ingredients which are added to keep them stable and help them work better. Common ingredients in the coronavirus vaccines include sucrose (a type of sugar) and salt. These are added in extremely small quantities and won’t have any effect on the body.
You can find out more about the different types of vaccines and full information on vaccine ingredients in the patient information leaflet for the vaccine when you are offered one.
