How long after my first Covid vaccine dose will I have the second?
Over 30 million people in the UK have received a second dose of a coronavirus vaccine (Picture: Getty)  Public Health England (PHE) says that two doses are highly effective against hospitalisation from the concerning Delta variant, first detected in India. As of June 15, more than 30 million people in the UK have received a second dose of a coronavirus vaccine  and this number is only growing. People aged 18 and over will be able to book their vaccines this week, meaning the UK is getting closer to being a fully-vaccinated nation. When booking your first dose, you should also be prompted to book your second appointment. This could be at the same vaccine centre, or you may choose a different one. The UK Chief Medical Officers have said that the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccines can be given up to 12 weeks following the first dose. You should get your second vaccine within 12 weeks of your first (Picture: Getty)  You should have your second dose as soon as you are offered it. You should be invited to get your second dose between four and 12 weeks after your first dose  Due to the increase in cases of the Delta variant in the UK, you may be offered your second dose sooner than you were expecting. The Government is fast-tracking the second dose for older and more vulnerable people as well as those living in areas with high infection rates. Some appointments have been brought as early as four weeks forwards. If, for some reason, you cant get your second dose within the twelve week period, its still best to get it as soon as possible. Its not yet clear how a delay affects the level of protection a vaccination offers. The government is fast-tracking the second dose for vulnerable citizens (Picture: Getty)  How to book your second Covid vaccine  In most cases, you should be able to book both jabs at the same time. However, if you havent got an appointment for your second dose, youll be contacted by the NHS when its time to book. The process of getting the vaccine has been made easier by the launch of the national self-service appointment booking system  you need to be registered with a GP surgery in England to use this service. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video  If youve received a text, letter or email from the NHS, you can access the service via the official website. The online booking system also enables you to view, manage and cancel your existing appointments. You will be asked a few questions in order to confirm your vaccine appointment  make sure you have your NHS number to hand. Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram  Share your views in the comments below