Tony Holohan says under-40s won't get Covid booster jab 'any time soon'

Dr Tony Holohan said the booster campaign will go ahead for vulnerable groups. Photo: Colin Keegan

The chief medical officer has said under-40s will not be getting a booster Covid-19 vaccine 'any time soon' as there is not evidence about waning immunity for young people.

Dr Tony Holohan said the booster campaign will go ahead for vulnerable groups.

He said the pandemic has taken a "turn that we didn't want it to take" and that just three weeks ago he did not think the situation would be as bad as it is now.

The vaccine is continuing to protect people from serious illness and hospitalisation, he said, but it is only one tool and other tools such as public health guidelines on mask wearing, hand washing, social distancing and ventilation are required.

He said it would take only a slight improvement or shift in collective adherence to ensure a shift in transmission levels adding that no one wants to go back to the "crude" measures of restrictions.

Dr Holohan said that while it is not mandatory, the guidance is that people presenting Covid certs should also present identification. 

If people are not asked for their cert they should not return to that premises. 

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“That’s not a safe environment. Irish people are not great at complaining. You should be asked for id and a telephone number.” 

The reopening of venues this weekend will mean more social contact, so he called on people to be mindful of their personal behaviour and not to put other people at risk. If they have any symptoms then they should not be going out.

Dr Holohan also denied that he was “anti” antigen tests. But he added: “It’s not the test I dislike, it’s how it's applied.  Our nearest neighbours the UK are probably the most prolific users of antigen tests, and have the greatest challenge in terms of infection that the Western world has seen." 

Dr Holohan was particularly concerned about cases where parents are using the tests when they have symptomatic children. When there is a negative result they then send the children to school. Anyone with symptoms should stay at home and get a PCR test, he said.

When asked if on RTÉ radio if he would invite an unvaccinated person to his home for Christmas dinner, Dr Holohan said that unvaccinated people pose an increased risk of catching and transmitting the virus and the opportunity is still there to be vaccinated. 

“It’s important to protect yourself and those you love,” he said. 

Dr Holohan also acknowledged that there was “a small number” of cases of the AY.4.2 Covid subvariant in the country. “We have the capacity to track those cases, it is not something about which we are raising alarm or concern at this point in time”.