Can I have a COVID-19 vaccine privately at your clinic?
No, the COVID-19 vaccination is only available through the NHS.
For additional information please visit the NHS coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine webpage
See below:
Who will be offered the coronavirus vaccine
All adults aged 18 and over on (and including) 31 October 2021 are now invited for vaccination.
Vaccine drop-in clinics
All mainland health boards are offering coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine drop-in services as the vaccination programme has nearly completed first doses for all adults in Scotland.
Everyone aged 18 and over can attend the clinics for either their first dose, or for their second if it is 8 weeks since the first.
More about vaccine drop-in clinics
The coronavirus vaccine is free to everyone in Scotland. Do not share your bank details with anyone offering you the vaccine for a fee
Why you should be vaccinated
Vaccinating people as quickly as possible will help drive infection rates down, particularly as a significantly more infectious and faster spreading strain has developed.
The coronavirus vaccine can reduce your risk of developing coronavirus and make your symptoms milder if you do get it.
The vaccine is not mandatory but NHS Scotland strongly recommends you get the vaccine when offered it.
Find out more about how you will be vaccinated
Who is being offered the coronavirus vaccine?
NHS Scotland are following the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice and are vaccinating those most at risk first, and those who work closest with them.
If you are not registered with a GP or do not have Community Health Index (CHI) number you can still get the vaccine by phoning the helpline on 0800 030 8013.
Adults aged 18 and over
Everyone aged 18 and over on (and including) 31 October 2021 has now been invited for a vaccine. This includes:
residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
front line health and social care workers
clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
those aged 18 to 64 with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
all adults with a learning disability – mild, moderate, severe and profound
unpaid carers
household contacts of those who are severely immunosuppressed
adults experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping
You should use NHS Scotland's appointment tracker to check if you have an appointment scheduled for your first or second dose.
Young people aged 16 and 17
People aged 16 and 17 can receive the vaccine if they:
are identified as clinically extremely vulnerable, or as having a specific underlying health condition
are an unpaid carer
are a frontline health or social care worker
People aged 16 and 17 will normally be offered the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
Find out more about underlying health conditions
Children aged 12 to 15
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has looked at the available evidence on vaccinating children and young people under the age of 18.
On 19 July 2021, the JCVI advised that children at increased risk of serious coronavirus disease are offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. This includes children aged 12 to 15 with severe neurodisabilities, Down’s syndrome, immunosuppression and multiple or severe learning disabilities. In Scotland, we are now preparing to invite relevant young people. We will provide details as soon as they are available.
The JCVI also recommends that children and young people aged 12 to 17 who live with someone who is immunosuppressed should be offered the vaccine. This is to indirectly protect their immunosuppressed household contacts, who are at higher risk of serious disease from coronavirus and who may not generate a full immune response to vaccination. In Scotland, we have previously sent letters to household contacts aged 16 and over of those with severe immunosuppression. We are now preparing to expand this offer. We will provide details as soon as they are available.
The JCVI does not currently advise routine vaccination of children outside of these groups, based on the current evidence. Scotland, like other UK countries, will be following this advice.
Evidence shows that coronavirus rarely causes severe disease in children without underlying health conditions, so at this time the JCVI’s view is that the minimal health benefits of offering universal coronavirus vaccination to children do not outweigh the potential risks.
Read the full statement from the JCVI
Underlying health conditions
Read more about the health conditions that put people aged 16 years and over at higher risk of serious disease and mortality.
Younger adults in long-stay nursing and residential care settings
Many younger adults in residential care settings will be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine because they fall into one of the clinical risk groups (for example learning disabilities).
Given the likely high risk of exposure in these settings, vaccination of the whole resident population is recommended.
Younger residents in care homes for the elderly will also be at a higher risk of exposure. Although they may be at lower risk of mortality than older residents, they should be offered the coronavirus vaccine.
Unpaid carers
Unpaid carers aged 16 to 64 are now being offered vaccination alongside adults with eligible at-risk health conditions (priority group 6).
Those unpaid carers aged 65 and over will have been offered the vaccine earlier in priority groups 2 to 5.
Unpaid carers being prioritised for vaccination are those who provide face-to-face care (without payment) for someone else due to a disability, ill-health, frailty or addiction issues.
Unpaid carers will be invited to get their coronavirus vaccine by phone or letter.
This information sheet from the Scottish Government has more information about additional support for unpaid carers.
If you are not registered with your GP as an unpaid carer, you can now register for a vaccine by phoning the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013.
Frontline social care workers
The JCVI definition of frontline social care workers is:
those working in long-stay residential and nursing care homes or other long-stay care facilities where rapid spread is likely to follow introduction of infection and cause high levels of illness or death
social care staff directly involved in the care of their patients or clients
others involved directly in delivering social care such that they and vulnerable patients/ clients are at increased risk of exposure
Frontline social care workers working directly with local authority or NHS services will be contacted by their local health board for vaccination.
Social care workers in the private/independent or third sector
A letter has been issued to the third and independent sector which provides further advice for staff to self-assess their eligibility for vaccination.
It includes information for social care workers to arrange their vaccination appointment. Speak to your employer for more information.
Clinically extremely vulnerable
Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals are those who were recommended by the NHS to shield.
Everyone in this group will be eligible for a vaccination at the same time as those aged 70 and over. People with underlying health conditions who are not on the shielding list will be offered the vaccine shortly after that.
Highest risk groups who were recommended to shield
Self-registration portal
You can register for a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination through the online self-registration portal.
This is a convenient and immediate way to register for your coronavirus vaccine and receive your vaccination appointment details.
For more information go to our self-registration page.
Who should not get the vaccination
You should not get the coronavirus vaccine if you've had a severe anaphylactic reaction to any of the ingredients in the vaccine or a previous dose of the vaccine.
Before you're vaccinated, tell the person giving you the vaccine if you've ever had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
This will affect very few people, but you will be able to ask any questions at your appointment.
Further information about the vaccines and their ingredients
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and the vaccine
If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, read more about the coronavirus vaccine and pregnancy.
Last updated:
20 July 2021