No shortage of vaccines for those who require additional dose

There are enough vaccines for all who require a third dose and there is also a sufficient supply for the booster programme. Picture: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

The HSE’s lead for infection control, professor Martin Cormican has said there is no shortage of Covid-19 vaccines for the additional dose and booster campaigns for the immunocompromised and vulnerable.

Prof Cormican told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that people did not have to contact the HSE to see if they need an additional dose, they would be contacted with an appointment. “We have enough vaccines for everyone.” 

Getting vaccinated is like getting your immune system ready for a big match against the virus,” he explained. 

“For most of us our immune team is ready for action after the standard vaccine dose, for some people whose immune system is starting from a lower base, it's weaker, they need an extra training session, an extra vaccine dose to get them ready for that match and that's what the additional dose is about for the immunocompromised. It's getting them ready for that if they meet the virus.

“The other part that's happening is people who were match ready six months ago, but their immune system has got a bit out of condition over the last six months and another training session brings them back up to match ready.

“That's the two things that are happening. One is getting people whose immune system was starting from a weak base, getting that match ready, and that means the extra vaccine dose is given two months at least after they had their standard course and then the other thing that we're doing is people who were ready, but their immune system has got a bit out of condition and that's a six-month interval to get them back up to where they were.” 

Prof Cormican added that the immunocompromised group included everybody over the age of 12 who is immunocompromised, but those over 16 would be contacted first. 

There will be a little delay for people 12-15, that's because in many cases they haven't reached the two-month interval yet because they were vaccinated later.

People aged 80 and over will be offered the booster dose whether they live in their own homes or in a nursing home. 

In most cases, they will get the dose through their GP. For people aged 65 and over in nursing homes or other residential facilities the vaccination teams will come to them, he added.

International reports indicated that there would be a lot of the flu virus around, so it was important for people to get their flu vaccine, he said. This would be distributed as in previous years – through GPs and pharmacies.