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Immunosuppressed and Housebound – COVID-19 vaccinations

COVID-19 vaccinations

Please click here for an update on COVID-19 vaccinations for people with a severely weakened immune system.

Who is at increased risk from COVID-19?

People considered to be at increased risk from COVID-19 include those with a weakened immune system and a wider group of people such as those with an underlying health condition.

People with a weakened immune system

If you have a weakened immune system, you can get a further COVID-19 vaccination this autumn. This includes if:

  • You have or previously had blood cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma)
  • You have had an organ, bone marrow or stem cell transplant
  • You have HIV (at all stages)
  • You have a genetic disorder affecting the immune system
  • You are having a treatment such as biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy
  • You are treated with certain medicines that increase your risk of infection, including strong steroids (such as azathioprine, dexamethasone, prednisolone, ciclosporin or mycophenolate, depending on your dosage)
  • You are treated with long-term immunosuppressive medicines for conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, scleroderma and psoriasis.

If you’re unsure if you have a weakened immune system, speak to your pharmacy team, GP practice or specialist for advice.

Other people at increased risk from COVID-19

If you are in one of the below groups, you are identified as at increased risk from COVID-19. You are not considered to have a weakened immune system.

You can currently only get a 1st or 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if you haven’t already had these vaccinations. You cannot get a further dose this autumn unless you are also:

  • aged 75 or over, or
  • live in a care home for older adults, or
  • have a weakened immune system (see ‘People with a weakened immune system’ above).

Clinical risk groups for individuals aged 16 years and over include:

  • Chronic respiratory disease
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Chronic neurological disease, such as stroke and individuals with cerebral palsy, profound multiple learning disabilities, Down’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease and related or similar conditions.
  • Diabetes
  • Those with immunosuppression
  • Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
  • Morbid obesity
  • Severe mental illness
  • Younger adults in long-stay nursing and residential care settings
  • Pregnant women

Clinical risk groups for those aged under 16 years include:

  • Chronic respiratory disease
  • Chronic heart conditions
  • Chronic conditions of the kidney, liver or digestive system
  • Chronic neurological disease
  • Endocrine disorders
  • Immunosuppression
  • Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
  • Serious genet

Adults aged 16 years and over:

  • a long-term lung condition, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma (if you need steroid tablets) or cystic fibrosis
  • a long-term heart condition, such as congenital heart disease, chronic heart failure or atrial fibrillation
  • long term kidney disease (CKD) stage 3, 4 or 5
  • a severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis
  • a long-term problem with the brain or nerves, such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Huntington’s disease, myasthenia gravis, or a stroke or transient ischaemic attack
  • severe or multiple learning disabilities (or being on the learning disability register), such as Down’s syndrome
  • diabetes or another hormone disorder, such as Addison’s disease
  • problems with the spleen, having no spleen or having a condition that can affect the spleen (such as sickle cell disease)
  • being severely obese (having a body mass index (BMI) over 40 or above)
  • a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
  • being pregnant (all stages)
  • living in a long-stay nursing and residential care home as a younger adult.

Children aged under 16 years:

  • a long-term lung condition, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma (if you need steroid tablets) or cystic fibrosis
  • a long-term heart condition, such as congenital heart disease or chronic heart failure
  • a long-term condition of the kidney, liver or digestive system
  • a long-term problem with the brain or nerves, such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, an inherited condition or autism
  • severe or multiple learning disabilities (or being on the learning disability register), such as Down’s syndrome
  • diabetes or another hormone disorder, such as Addison’s disease
  • problems with the spleen, having no spleen or having a condition that can affect the spleen (such as sickle cell disease)
  • a serious genetic condition that affects multiple systems in the body, such as mitochondrial disease
  • being pregnant (all stages)
  • living in a long-stay nursing and residential care home as a younger adult.

Please note that these are summary lists and do not cover everything. For a full list of conditions and criteria, please see Chapter 14a (tables 3 and 4) of the Green Book.

After 30 June 2023

If you are eligible for a spring vaccination, or if you haven’t had your 1st or 2nd dose, the last date you will be able to get vaccinated is 30 June.

After this date, you will only be eligible for a 1st or 2nd dose if you are at increased risk from COVID-19 and in most cases, you will have to wait until the autumn to get these vaccinations. If you develop a new health condition or start treatment that severely weakens your immune system, an exception may be made if your clinician advises you to get vaccinated sooner.

Housebound vaccinations and home visits

Local health teams are providing home visits for those patients who have no other alternative due to immobility or very serious ongoing health conditions. But we are asking all patients who are able to do so to attend their surgery, vaccination site or community pharmacy for flu or COVID vaccinations rather than requesting a home visit.

If you require additional support to attend a vaccination site please ask a family member or friend to transport and accompany you to your COVID or flu jab appointment.

If this support is unavailable to you there are a number of community transport options you can consider through the local authority and local voluntary sector.

Information and support for housebound patients who may be able to travel to a vaccination site for their COVID-19 vaccine

If you are able to attend a local vaccination centre, please book your vaccine through the NHS national booking service online at nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or telephone 119 (free), between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.

If you are classified as housebound, your GP practice will be in touch to arrange a home visit for your COVID-19 autumn vaccination. Please be assured that local practices are working hard to get to all housebound people and will contact you in due course.

For patients who are unable to find support through family or friends, please see below options for community transport to your appointment:

Norfolk community transport information:

Click here to view further information about transport and getting your vaccine.

Support from Caring Together is available for carers and the people they look after to attend vaccination appointments. Norfolk patients can access this support by: