Ireland’s Covid-19 vaccine booster rollout will expand next week to all adults aged 30 and older, along with those aged 16 and over who initially received the single-shot Janssen jab. All remaining age groups will be eligible for a booster vaccine by January 10th, the Minister for Health announced on Thursday evening. This will happen in parallel with all children aged 5 to 11 years being offered a first vaccine dose. The dates of the expanded vaccine rollout are as follows:
  • Wednesday, December 29th: People aged 30 to 39 can receive a booster in vaccination centres and pharmacies. GPs are already authorised to vaccinate this group.
  • Wednesday, December 29th: People aged 16 to 29 who received a Janssen vaccine can receive a booster through GPs and pharmacies initially. Clinics will run in vaccination centres from the following week for this group.
  • January 3rd: Children aged 5 to 11 years who have a health condition that puts them at risk of severe illness from Covid or who live with someone who is at higher risk can receive a vaccine in vaccination centres.
  • January 8th: All other children aged 5 to 11 years can receive a first dose of a Covid vaccine. The portal to book an appointment will open on Tuesday, December 28th.
  • January 10th: All people aged 16 to 29 can receive a booster.
Minister Donnelly encouraged parents to seek health advice available on www.hse.ie and with their own family clinician if they have any concerns about bringing their child for vaccination. “As pointed out by Niac, the potential benefits of vaccination are most obvious for children with underlying conditions, and this is why we are prioritising vaccination for them,” he said. “Covid-19 has had a significant, negative impact on the lives of all of us, particularly the educational and social lives of our children. “The necessary public health measures have disrupted the various developmental opportunities that our children engage in with their peers. All of these factors have informed this decision to accelerate Ireland’s Covid-19 vaccination programme.”