Text messages are already being used by local vaccination services. The NHS National Booking Service is using this approach to see whether it helps to reach eligible individuals and encourage them to book their appointment faster than the letters used so far, and whether receiving an invite in this way is preferable for those in younger age groups.
Text Message FAQs
The NHS has been using contact details – including addresses and now mobile phone numbers – given to us by patients and recorded in their GP patient record.
If you share a mobile phone with other adults then you can try to book online. If you are not eligible yet then the booking system will not let you book until you are.
No. This service is in addition to the texts sent out by some local services.
If you have received a text message or any other kind of invite from another vaccination service and have booked an appointment, then please ignore the text messages.
Not necessarily. If your text message came from ‘NHSvaccine’, included a link to the NHS.uk/covidvaccination website (opens in a new window) and gave you the option of phoning 119 then it was genuine.
If in doubt you can check with the organisation you think you have booked in with.
In a small number of cases you might still receive a text message after recently receiving your first dose.
This will be because there can be a few days lag between being vaccinated and your record being updated.
If you have already been vaccinated or have a vaccination booked, please ignore the message – there is nothing you need to do.
You will not be able to use this service to book your second dose – you should continue to wait to be invited back by the service where you got your first dose.
If you were vaccinated a long time ago and still received a text message, you may wish to get in contact with whichever service you received your vaccination at to ensure they recorded it properly.
In a small number of cases you might still receive a text message after recently receiving your first dose.
This will be because there can be a few days lag between being vaccinated and your record being updated.
If you have already been vaccinated or have a vaccination booked, please ignore the message – there is nothing you need to do.
You will not be able to use this service to book your second dose – you should continue to wait to be invited back by the service where you got your first dose.
If you were vaccinated a long time ago and still received a text message, you may wish to get in contact with whichever service you received your vaccination at to ensure they recorded it properly.
You can trust your text message is genuinely from the national booking service if it comes from ‘NHSvaccine’, includes a link to the NHS.uk website and gives you the option of phoning 119.
You may receive a different message from a local GP-led vaccination service. If you are in any doubt about this you can ring your local practice to check it is genuine.
Remember, the COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge on the NHS. The NHS will never ask for:
- your bank account or card details
- your pin or banking password
- copies of personal documents to prove your identity such as your passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips
If you think you have been a victim of fraud or identify theft, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Not everyone will receive a text message, because we don’t have everyone’s mobile phone number from their GP patient record, and in some cases the mobile phone numbers we do have will be out of date.
If someone is in an eligible group and doesn’t receive a text, it’s probably for this reason, and they should receive an invite very soon.
If they are in an eligible group, they should in most cases also be able to book via the national booking system at NHS.uk/covid-vaccination or by phoning 119.
The NHS can only send text messages to people who are eligible based on the information provided in their GP patient records.
In a small number of cases, it might be the case that the mobile number we have for someone has lapsed and has since been recycled and allocated to you.
Alternatively, someone with a similar number who is eligible may have entered their number incorrectly on their GP record.
More locations will become available in the coming weeks so you could try again later.
Alternatively, you can choose to wait until your local GP service invites you for the vaccine.
The telephone booking service will be open 16 hours a day (from 7am until 11pm), seven days a week. People will also be able to book online 24/7.
At times, due to high demand, the phone line will get very busy, which may mean waiting on the line for a while or calling back later. You can alternatively book online.
If you need help to do this, please ask someone in your support bubble.
The phone line will have interpreters and a BSL facility available on request to help you book your appointments.