Press release
Minister for Health announces acceleration of Ireland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme - 23 December 2021
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has announced an acceleration of Ireland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.
All age groups will be eligible to receive a booster vaccine by 10 January, in parallel with all children aged 5 to 11 years being offered a primary vaccination dose.
Minister Donnelly said:
“I am delighted to announce this acceleration of Ireland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. As we face into a challenging period, it is important that all groups have the opportunity to be vaccinated with a booster to offer protection to as many people as possible."
The acceleration will be implemented as follows:
Vaccination will be offered, in vaccination centres (vaccinations are already available to this group in hospitals) to children aged 5 to 11 years who:
All 5 to 11 year-olds will be offered a primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The portal to book an appointment will open on Tuesday 28 December.
All people aged 16 to 29 will be offered a booster dose/primary dose.
Minister Donnelly said:
“For most children COVID-19 is a mild illness which will resolve. However, a small minority of children will have more serious disease, and some may experience long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection, including for example long COVID.
“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. 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.
“Vaccination offers an extra level of protection for all of us, and I would encourage parents to engage with the trusted health advice available on the HSE website, and with your own family clinician if you have any concerns about bringing your child for this vaccine. I would also encourage you to discuss this update to our vaccination programme with your child and ensure that they are aware that vaccination will soon be available to them.”