Anyone wanting to protect themselves from Covid-19 who is not already eligible for free vaccinations can now book private jabs at some pharmacies in Scotland.
Who can book a private Covid-19 jab?
This is the first time Covid inoculations will be available to purchase in the UK for anyone over the age of 12, thanks to Pharmadoctor releasing it to local chemists.
Speaking with The Guardian, Graham Thoms, chief executive of Pharmadoctor, said: “Over the coming weeks, as pharmacists come on board to offer the service, the network will build and we expect it to mirror the private flu service, which we support thousands of pharmacies to offer each year.”
Currently, 27 chemists across England and Scotland are able to provide the vaccination, but it is expected that lots more pharmacies will come on board if demand for the jab is high.
The government has now restricted the free inoculation to just those who are over the age of 75, care home residents, and anyone who is immunosuppressed. However, this means that millions of Brits are being left compromised, as they last received a Covid booster in 2021.
Therefore, their immunity to the virus is likely to have diminished, making them vulnerable to contracting the illness if they come into contact with someone who has it.
What does the vaccination include?
Those who are keen to boost their immunity against Covid-19 can receive either the Pfizer/BioNTech jab, which costs between £75 and £85, or the Novavax one for £45 to £55. However, the price could vary from pharmacy to pharmacy.
The former vaccine is based on mRNA or adenovirus platforms, which is newer technology. However, the latter jab, which particularly protects against the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus, is a protein-based inoculation.
More types of vaccines will also be added to the list once they are licensed.
How to book an appointment
Members of the public who are not eligible for the free NHS jab can book their private vaccination at their local pharmacy. Appointments can now be booked in many pharmacies, though availability is likely to increase with time.
It is worth keeping an eye out to see if your local chemist is providing the service, as awareness of the private jab grows.
Before getting the vaccination, patients will need to have a face-to-face consultation with the pharmacist to check they are clinically appropriate for it.
Those who want to avoid getting Covid-19 and particularly Long Covid are going to be the first in line in the booking system, as the virus still has a list of unpleasant symptoms even if it is not as dangerous as it was when it initially spread across the world in 2020.
These include a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, nausea or vomiting and diarrhoea.