Can you have a Covid booster if you have a cold?
IT'S winter bug season, meaning you could be hit by a cold at any moment.
But with symptoms of a cold and Omicron now so similar it might be hard to know what you have, and therefore if you can have your booster while ill.
All eligible Brits, which includes some teens and children, have been urged to visit the NHS booking portal to get their booster jabs with vaccine centres now also offering walk-in appointments to all adults.
A string of hugely positive studies show Omicron is milder than other strains in the vaccinated.
Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.
The Sun's Jabs Army campaign is helping get the vital extra vaccines in Brits' arms to ward off the need for any new restrictions.
On top of Covid infections, the common cold is still circulating, with Brits all over the country complaining they are suffering.
But people who have contracted the variant have been suffering with very similar symptoms such as a scratchy throat, headaches, sneezing and runny noses.
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So if you have suddenly developed a cold or if you feel unwell, regardless of what your lateral flow says, get a PCR too to be sure it's not Covid.
And if you are due to have your booster and suddenly feel under the weather, you may have more questions...
Can I still have the Covid booster if I have a cold?
The short answer is yes.
If you are certain you don't have Covid and you are well enough to leave home, you can get your third shot with confidence.
You should make sure you wear a mask to not spread any germs however.
The jab might make you feel a bit rougher than if you weren't ill, but overall it's perfectly safe - and you can emerge from your sickly funk safe in the knowledge you are protected against Covid.
A cold shouldn't have an impact on your body’s ability to build an immune response to the flu, even though it is fighting an illness.
NHS guidance says you should still attend your appointment even if you have a mild illness, including a common cold.
But if you suddenly feel very unwell, stay at home and book an appointment when you feel better. This includes a fever (high temperature).
If you have Covid symptoms, are self-isolating or waiting for your coronavirus test result, you should NOT attend your appointment.
It's easy to rearrange your slot through the booking system.
Who is eligible for the booster jab?
In order to get the third dose of the life-saving vaccine, people can easily go to walk-in centres up and down the country.
One of the nation’s top doctors has urged people to take up their jab offers to not only protect themselves, but to continue the nation's path out of the pandemic.
Boris Johnson told the Commons last week cases and hospitalisations are falling and "our scientists believe it is likely the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally".
He declared: "Because of the extraordinary booster campaign, together with the way the public have responded to the Plan B measures, we can return to Plan A in England and allow Plan B regulations to expire.
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"We will set out our long-term strategy for living with Covid 19, explaining how we hope and intend to protect our liberty and avoid restrictions in future by relying instead on medical advances – especially the vaccines which have already saved so many lives.
"But to make that possible, we must all remain cautious during these last weeks of winter."