What does fully vaccinated mean? Meaning of vaccination term, UK rules on Covid jabs and if booster is needed

A Covid pass is required for entry to certain venues and events across the UK under current rules, meaning people must show proof of their vaccination status or a recent negative test.

The passes are needed to enter nightclubs, unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people, and any venue with more than 10,000 people.

Those who are using proof of a negative Covid test must have taken it within the previous 24 or 48 hours, depending on where you live in the UK, before entry.

But what are the rules on proving you have been fully vaccinated? Here’s what you need to know.

What does fully vaccinated mean?

Current rules in the UK mean a person is considered to be fully vaccinated if they have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Everyone who has had at least two jabs will have a valid NHS Covid Pass, granting access to venues and events that have restricted entry requirements, such as nightclubs.

At the moment, it is not mandatory to have had a booster dose to be classed as fully vaccinated.

However, the UK government has said this will soon change.

Is the booster jab going to be needed?

Yes, the booster vaccine will soon be needed to be classed as fully vaccinated.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said in the Commons last month that the NHS Covid app will require people to have had three vaccine doses, which would include the booster.

However, it has not yet been confirmed when this change will come into effect.

Mr Javid said: “You will need to show a negative lateral flow test to get into nightclubs and large events, with an exemption for the double vaccinated.

“Once all adults have had a reasonable chance to get their booster jab we intend to change this exemption to require a booster dose.”

The Prime Minister has also spoken about the likelihood that needing three vaccine doses will become an “important fact” in the future, suggesting that a booster will be needed as proof of full vaccination status in the UK.

Boris Johnson said during a press conference: “It’s very clear that getting three jabs, getting your booster, will become an important fact and it will make life easier for you in all sorts of ways.

“We will have to adjust our concept of what constitutes a full vaccination to take account of that, and I think that is increasingly obvious.”

How do I find proof of my booster jab?

Proof of a Covid-19 booster dose can be found using the NHS Covid Pass via the NHS App and the nhs.uk website.

Booster vaccinations are also now included on the NHS Covid Pass letter for international travel.

Evidence of a third jab will appear on the NHS Covid Pass within five days of getting vaccinated, with the 2D barcode displaying the booster dose first, followed by the second and first course of vaccinations. This will also show on the PDF version of the Covid Pass for travel.

As yet, proof of boosters only display on the Covid pass for travel but not on the domestic pass, which is used to access venues and events in the UK.

This is because it is not currently a requirement for people to have a third dose to qualify as fully vaccinated.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.