The Health Service Executive has taken delivery of 144,000 Pfizer children’s vaccines this week for the rollout of Covid-19 jabs to those aged between five and 11.
The vaccines will be administered in two doses, with a gap of three weeks, starting with high-risk children next week, The Irish Times reports.
There are 222,000 doses of the vaccine due to be delivered during January. The vaccine comes in a lower dose than the one given to adults.
Weekly deliveries are expected in the new year as the rollout of first vaccines to an estimated 480,000 children aged between five and 11 commences from Monday, January 10th.
Medically vulnerable children will receive the first jabs next week at Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght hospitals in Dublin, along with paediatric units in hospitals across the country.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) has advised that children with an underlying condition, along with children living with a younger child with complex medical needs and children living with an immunocompromised adult, be vaccinated first.
Starting next week, first jabs will be offered to siblings of children with underlying health conditions at the same time.
Meanwhile, online registrations for other high risk children will commence from December 28th.
The HSE is expecting children of the State’s estimated 100,000 immunocompromised adults to come forward at this time.
High-risk children, along with siblings and children of immunocompromised adults, will then receive appointments at vaccination centres with dedicated clinics from January 3rd.
A health source told The Irish Times that the HSE expect the vaccination centres to be under less pressure by the time the children's vaccine is rolled out as the booster campaign will be well under way at this stage.
