Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said he expects a decision in the coming weeks from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) about extending the booster campaign to younger cohorts.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Coveney said that he believed booster vaccines had a role to play in bringing down case numbers.
On a recent visit to Israel and Palestine, he said he had seen the dramatic impact a booster campaign had on the number of cases in hospitals and intensive care units.
As immunity waned, it was definite that booster vaccines had a role to play, he said.
“This won’t be confined to the over-60s. It will extend to the younger cohort too.”
Niac would advise the Government and he expected a decision in the coming weeks, he added.
Currently, if you are living in long-term residential care and aged 65 or over, you will be vaccinated where you live.
If you are aged 80 or over and not living in residential care, you’ll be invited for your vaccine by your GP.
Some GPs will refer patients to a vaccination centre, in which you will need an appointment for your booster dose.
You cannot get a booster dose at a walk-in vaccination clinic.
Booster campaigns impacting vaccine shortages
Previously, the World Health Organsiation has asked wealthy nations to ‘hold off’ on boosters in order to leave supplies for poorer nations.
WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus said low-income nations still are not getting sufficient supplies of vaccines.
“No more boosters should be administered, except to immunocompromised people.
“Most countries with high vaccine coverage continue to ignore our
