THE HEALTH MINISTER has accepted expert advice that everyone in Ireland over the age of 16 should be given a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose.
The new recommendations were made by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), who has endorsed the recommendations.
NIAC recommended a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine in order of priority for:
The additional dose will be given at least five months following completion of the primary vaccination schedule, except for those who received the Janssen vaccine.
In the case of those 16–39-year-olds who received the Janssen jab as their primary vaccine, they can be offered a booster dose irrespective of their age after a minimum three-month interval.
If a person has had laboratory confirmed Covid-19 infection after completing their primary vaccine course, the booster should be delayed for at least six months after they were diagnosed.
Minister Stephen Donnelly said a significant amount of planning will be required now.
“We continue to prioritise boosters because we know that they are having a positive impact on the level of hospitalisation, severe illness and mortality from Covid-19 in those aged over 70,” he said.
“I am also accelerating the booster rollout to those with underlying conditions and those in their 60s.”
The Minister said the health service continues to see a high proportion of unvaccinated individuals requiring hospitalisation and critical care in ICU and he urged anyone who is eligible for a vaccine to take one.
NIAC have recommended that booster doses should be offered to those identified in previous recommendations, ie those over 50 years, those of any age in long-term healthcare facilities, healthcare workers, and those with underlying conditions before progressing to these younger age cohorts.
The Department of Health is to ensure priority for booster vaccines is given to those at highest risk of severe disease.
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