Immunology expert calls for rapid antigen tests for children

Professor Paul Moynagh, Head of the Department of Biology and Director of the Human Health Research Institute at Maynooth University.

Immunology expert Professor Paul Moynagh has called for rapid antigen tests to be used for children who display symptoms of Covid-19 or are deemed close contacts.

If such test results were negative then the children could continue to go to school, Prof Moynagh told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

He said that runny noses and similar symptoms are likely to be common during the winter and antigen tests would be good at determining if a person had an infectious level of the virus.

It would also be beneficial to reintroduce contact tracing for school children so they could use an antigen test if identified as a close contact, he said.

Prof Moynagh also expressed surprise that National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) has not yet given approval for a booster campaign for health care workers some of whom had received their first vaccine 10 months ago which meant that the protection could now be waning.

A booster campaign would be enormously helpful, he said as many health care workers received the AstraZeneca vaccine for their first and second doses and if they were to receive the Pfizer vaccine as their booster dose, it would give them a high level of immune response.

Niac is to meet today in relation to boosters for healthcare workers as over 3,500 are now out due to Covid-related illness, according to HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry.

Prof Moynagh said that the breakthrough cases of Covid that were being seen now among healthcare workers could be as a result of waning immunity which highlighted the need for booster vaccines.

According to the chief executive of the HSE, over the past six days, almost 15,000 people have attended a Vaccination Centre with an average of 1,800 people registering for a vaccine per day.

Almost 7,000 have attended a walk-in vaccination centre.

It comes Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan said the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) will continue to monitor the level of the disease and review the epidemiological data and its advice.

Dr Holohan said he is conscious that parents and guardians will be concerned about the high level of incidence of the virus amongst the 5 to 12 age group, particularly as children return to school today.

“I want to reassure you that, as winter approaches, Nphet continues to monitor the level of incidence of the disease and to closely review the epidemiological data, the international research and guidance and to update our advice accordingly," he said.

The public health advice is based on scientific evidence and the direct experience of the pandemic in Ireland and shows that child-to-child transmission is uncommon in school settings where there are preventive measures in place, he said.

He added that parents and guardians play an “essential role” in helping to drive down case numbers.

On Sunday, a further 1,963 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland.