Covid-19 vaccine boosters are to be given to a select cohort of vulnerable people, the Minister for Health has confirmed.
Residents of Long Term Residential Care Facilities aged 65 and over and people aged 80 years and older living in the community will be offered a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine.
The booster dose can be given after a minimal interval of six months after a person has completed their first vaccination schedule. The third mRNA vaccine will be provided irrespective of whether a person’s primary vaccination course was of an mRNA or adeno-viral vector vaccine.
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, announced the update to Ireland’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme today. These updates follow recommendations made by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
Minister Donnelly said: “Once again this week, we have seen some of the necessary public health restrictions eased thanks to the enormous efforts the Irish people have made to continue to follow the public health advice and, in particular, in relation to our amazing levels of vaccine uptake.
“Vaccination remains our pathway out of this pandemic, and as with the earlier phases of our vaccination programme, this update to the programme ensures that we continue to prioritise our most at risk loved ones from the risks posed by COVID-19.
“I am aware that operationalising these updates to our vaccination programme will take a short period of time. I will continue to work with my department, the HSE and the High-Level Task Force to implement these recommendations as safely and efficiently as possible.”