Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock

Booster vaccines approved for all adults: Pregnant women and 40 to 49s next in line for jabs

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said a significant amount of planning will be required now.

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:

  • pregnant women aged 16 years and older;
  • those aged 40 – 49 years;
  • those aged 16 – 39 years, in descending order by age in 10-year cohorts. 

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. 

It is understood that the boosters plan was due to be announced next week, but due to spread of the virus now in the community and due to concerns about reports of the variant detected in South Africa, it was expedited. 
Most 40 to 49-year-olds who registered for their vaccines when the portal opened for their age cohort, and who were given an mRNA vaccine,  received their first and second doses over the summer. Many of those will be approaching the end of their five month gap in the coming weeks. However, for other age cohorts, that five month gap may take them into the new year.

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.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
98 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gert McNulty
    Favourite Gert McNulty
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 3:49 PM

    Oil prices plunged……. lets see it at the pumps

    216
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute mark daly
    Favourite mark daly
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 4:06 PM

    @Gert McNulty: 2.02 here for diesel in Dundalk. Think I seen it at 1.98 at some places.

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Barrett
    Favourite Dave Barrett
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 4:13 PM

    @Gert McNulty: won’t happen. MM and LV making to much money on taxing petrol. Just stay hard pressed, head down and don’t question. That’s what they like.

    84
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The next small thing
    Favourite The next small thing
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 5:03 PM

    @Gert McNulty: the euro has plunged in value against the dollar (of which oil is bought and sold) so this will have a negative effect on the prices at the pump, fall in oil prices will cancel this out somewhat.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute JillyBean
    Favourite JillyBean
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 5:24 PM

    @Gert McNulty: WE wont see todays oil price for another few weeks yet but hopefully it will come to fruition at the pumps

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gert McNulty
    Favourite Gert McNulty
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 7:42 PM

    @JillyBean: its funny. It goes up aful quick the other way !!

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Buzz Killington
    Favourite Buzz Killington
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 5:14 PM

    On the plus side, it will encourage American tourists to spend more. On the negative side, there’ll be more Americans visiting here.

    104
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Moran
    Favourite James Moran
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 5:25 PM

    @Buzz Killington: lol

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Kavanagh
    Favourite John Kavanagh
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 3:21 PM

    Already here

    85
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul O Meara
    Favourite Paul O Meara
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 4:14 PM

    People don’t realise this is big news

    63
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mike Trant
    Favourite Mike Trant
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 4:51 PM

    I keep an eye on about 4 different currencies including the dollar because I travel quite a bit with the job.
    The only thing I see is a strengthening USD. The Euro hasn’t really changed against the others at all.

    59
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciaran
    Favourite Ciaran
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 4:05 PM

    A European wide recession ?? Let’s blame FF FG and the Greens of course ..

    57
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Walshe
    Favourite Stephen Walshe
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 6:47 PM

    @Ciaran: how about SF they definitely are to blame with their expensive dinners

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eugene H. Krabbs
    Favourite Eugene H. Krabbs
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 3:20 PM

    Arrrgghh, money

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Bolt
    Favourite The Bolt
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 3:44 PM

    If raising interest rates in the states is having the slowing effect, why is Europe not raising theirs?

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute JedBartlett
    Favourite JedBartlett
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 3:49 PM

    @The Bolt: They are.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Bolt
    Favourite The Bolt
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 4:00 PM

    @JedBartlett: Kind of want to get a move on wouldn’t they? There’s obviously more pain to come the longer they leave it, no?

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Godknows
    Favourite Godknows
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 8:08 PM

    US started the war, now the EU is the victim

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Roger Bond
    Favourite Roger Bond
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 8:40 PM

    @Godknows: The US never starts a war near the US.
    The people of the US would never tolerate fighting a war near its own territory.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Don Hogan
    Favourite Don Hogan
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 9:31 PM

    @Roger Bond: That’s because we all have guns.

    7
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Godknows
    Favourite Godknows
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 10:06 PM

    @Roger Bond: now we will see American will try to sell gas to Europe this winter

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Steven C. Schulz
    Favourite Steven C. Schulz
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 10:10 PM

    @Godknows: Hmm. And here I thought Russia started the war. Must be mistaken. Surely no one would be Putin’s lap dog.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Godknows
    Favourite Godknows
    Report
    Jul 12th 2022, 10:37 PM

    @Steven C. Schulz: Wake up!

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adam Hernes
    Favourite Adam Hernes
    Report
    Jul 13th 2022, 1:08 PM

    This makes European exports to USA so much cheaper and more competitive to other products and markets. This is only the problem with imports.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds