Booster vaccination against covid-19
Everyone aged 18 and over who has received their vaccine invitation prior to May 15 will be offered a third vaccine dose. People turning 18 after may will not receive an invitation for vaccination. Following May 15, you can no longer book a time at vaccinationcentres, however you can show up and get vaccinated.
The vaccines against covid-19 are effective. But while they provide some level of protection against becoming infected, a high level of protection against becoming severely ill or hospitalised with covid-19, it is also evident that the efficacy of the vaccines decreases over time. Therefore, the Danish Health Authority recommends that you get vaccinated with a 3rd. The reason behind this is to ensure that you get maximum protection against becoming severely ill from covid-19 if you get infected.
The six months the Omicron variant has dominated. The immunity obtained with vaccination may possibly be weaker against the new Omicron variant.
Fortunately, preliminary data suggest that a 3rd dose will increase immunity, which can prevent severe illness from covid-19, even if you were to become infected with the Omicron variant. The Danish Health Authority urges you to accept the offer of a 3rd vaccine dose as soon as possible.
Please learn more about revaccination in the questions and answers section below.
1. Who is offered a 3rd vaccine dose?
Everyone aged 18 and over are offered a 3rd vaccine dose 140 days (approximately 4,5 months) after their 2nd dose.
You are invited according to you birth year. As of 22 December 2021, if you were born in 2003 or earlier you can get the top-up booster dose 140 days after your 2nd dose. Likewise, as of 1 January 2022, you can get the 3rd vaccine dose 140 days after the 2nd jab if you were born in 2004 or earlier.
If you turn 18 in 2022 – and 140 days have elapsed since you got the 2nd vaccine dose – you will be invited according to the month you were born. This means that everyone who turns 18 in the same month will be invited to vaccination simultaneously.
2. How will I get the offer of a 3rd vaccine dose?
You will receive an invitation to the 3rd jab either through your e-Boks or by letter 140 days (approximately 4.5 month) after your 2nd jab. After the broad vaccination program is rounded of the 15th of May you will not receive an invitation. You will still be able to get a 3rd dose you will just have to meet up at a vaccination
Please follow the link to see where in the country you can get vaccinated:
3. Where can I get vaccinated?
Regional vaccination centres
You can book an appointment at vacciner.dk to get vaccinated at a regional vaccination centre. The procedure is the same as when you got your 1st and 2nd vaccine dose.
If you need help booking or changing your vaccination appointment, your region can help you find the vaccination centre that suits you best.
Telephone numbers for your region of residence:
- Capital Region of Denmark - Tel. 38 66 00 00
- Region Zealand - Tel. 70 20 42 22
- Region of Southern Denmark - Tel. 99 44 07 17, press 1
- Central Denmark Region - Tel. 78 41 48 40
- Northern Denmark Region - Tel. 97 64 84 63
General practitioners
- Many general practitioners can give you your booster vaccination. To see which, please follow the link and click on the yellow button above the map (Praktiserende læger).
Here you can be vaccinated
Privately run vaccination centres and pharmacies
- You can also get your booster jab at pharmacies and several privately run vaccination centres. To see which, please follow the link and click on either the orange button (Apoteker) or the pink button (Private vaccinationscentre) above the map.
Here you can be vaccinated
4. When will I be vaccinated?
If you are 18 or older, you can get the booster dose 140 days (about 4,5 months) after you received the 2nd vaccine dose.
The 140 days equals 20 full weeks. For example, if you were vaccinated on 8 August 2021, you can get the booster dose from 26 December 2021.
The Danish Health Authority recommends that you accept the offer of a booster dose as soon as possible after 140 days. You do not have to wait to get an invitation in your e-Boks.
5. Is it safe to accept a booster dose early?
We use the vaccines Cominarty® (BioNTech-Pfizer) and Spikevax® (Moderna) in Denmark. Both vaccines have been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for use as a booster dose 6 months after the second dose.
However, due to the current resurgence of the epidemic in Denmark, the Danish Health Authority recommends that persons aged 18 years and older accept the booster dose earlier (i.e., from 140 days after the 2nd vaccine dose). We have decided to bring forward booster vaccination in an effort to regain control of the epidemic, bolster protection against the highly contagious Omicron variant during the winter months, and protect this age group from becoming seriously ill if they become infected with covid-19.
Due to the severity of the current situation, the Danish Health Authority has made a thorough professional assessment of both efficacy and safety and has deemed it safe and effective to offer booster vaccination earlier than 6 months after someone has received the 2nd vaccine dose.
Several other countries – including Sweden, Norway and Iceland – have also brought booster vaccination forward.
6. I'm invited but can't find any available time slots. What should I do?
Anyone who has been invited can get their booster vaccination. If you cannot find a free time slot at vacciner.dk, please check if you can get your top-up jab from a general practitioner, a pharmacy or a privately run vaccination centre. Please follow the link to see where you can get vaccinated.
If you would rather book an appointment in advance, we recommend that you use your NemID and keep trying to log in to vacciner.dk. New time slots are continuously made available.
7. Although I have exceeded the recommended interval between the 2nd and 3rd doses, I have not yet received an invitation. What should I do?
Invitations to revaccination are sent out several times a week. The recommended interval of 4,5 months (from the 2nd dose) will therefore be exceeded by only a few days before you can expect your invitation to appear in your e-Boks. If you are exempt from receiving Digital Post, it may take up to 3-4 days before you receive your invitation letter by mail.
8. Is it possible to get a booster jab earlier than the Danish Health Authority recommends?
9. Will I experience side effects from the booster dose?
All vaccines – including the covid-19 vaccines – can cause side effects. However, not everyone experiences side effects, and if they do, these are generally mild and short-lasting side effects. Mild side effects include a slight fever or soreness at the injection site. When you are revaccinated, you may find that the common side effects are a little more intense than when you were previously vaccinated. But then again, you may not experience any side effects at all.
Local injection site reaction:
- Pain and redness at the injection site
Common side effects:
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
- Chills and shivers
- Slight fever
Rare side effects:
- Severe allergic reactions
- Difficulty breathing
- Skin rashes
- Facial swelling
In rare cases, severe allergic reactions may occur immediately after you have been vaccinated. If you have a severe allergy to medicines, for example, you may wish to consult your doctor before you are vaccinated. At the vaccination site, professional health workers will always be available to help In case of any immediate allergic reactions.
In extremely rare cases, some adults have developed an inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) or cardio-inflammatory disease (pericarditis – inflammation of the heart’s outer lining) after vaccination. Although this sounds quite serious these conditions have been temporary and have gone away by themselves in most cases. Rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis have been reported, especially in young adult males, but treatment is readily available.
Please consult your doctor if you experience severe symptoms after being vaccinated. Your doctor can assess whether the symptoms are due to the vaccine and initiate treatment if you need it. If you experience well-known and transient symptoms after vaccination, you do not need to consult your doctor.
You can learn more about the side effects of the vaccines at the Danish Medicines Agency’s website
10. How soon will I achieve the maximum effect of the 3rd dose?
11. Which vaccine will I be given?
12. Is it safe to get a booster dose and vaccination against other diseases – e.g., influenza – at the same time?
13. Can I get a booster dose if I have or have had COVID-19?
You cannot get revaccinated while you have covid-19, but you may get a booster dose if you have previously had covid-19.
I have had covid-19 after receiving my 2nd dose
If you have had covid-19 after receiving the 2nd dose, we recommend that you do not get the booster dose until 1 month after you have recovered.
I am waiting for my covid-19 test result because I might be infected
If you are waiting for the result of a covid-19 test, please postpone revaccination until you have whether you have covid-19 or not. You must not get the booster dose while infected with covid-19.
I am waiting for my covid-19 test result but do not suspect that I may be infected
If you do not suspect that you have been infected but have been tested for covid-19 – e.g., because you are tested routinely at work, during a trip, or in similar situations where a negative test is required – then you may go ahead and get the booster dose while waiting for your test result
14. I was fully vaccinated with the vaccine from AstraZeneca. Will I be offered a booster dose too?
If your first and second dose were with the covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca, you will also receive an invitation to revaccination after the same interval as everyone else who are due to get their booster jab.
The Danish Health Authority recommends that you accept the offer of a booster dose as soon as possible after 140 days. You do not have to wait to get an invitation in your e-Boks.