Vaccination centres ramp up 'boost the boosters' campaign

Queues outside the vaccination centre at Cork City Hall on Monday. Picture Michael Mac Sweeney

As the Government races to get ahead of the Omicron variant, the HSE is set to reach vaccination capacity of 300,000 people per week within a fortnight, and is on target to have 1.5m people boosted by Christmas.

Vaccination centres are ploughing ahead with the 'boost the boosters' campaign, managing appointments and walk-ins for first, second and third booster vaccine doses.

In Cork City on Monday, City Hall were managing appointments, and booster walk-ins for those over 50 and healthcare workers who have waited five months since their second dose.

Marcella came in to get her walk-in booster after she heard it on the radio that morning, and said it was no harm that the booster rollout is ramping up.

“There was a bit of a wait all right, about an hour, but it was worth getting it, it wasn’t too bad. All the staff were very nice and very obliging,” she said.

Ian Ring is a healthcare worker, and said he got his booster after 30 minutes of joining the walk-in queue.

“The wait wasn’t too bad, it was quite organised to be fair to them. I’m delighted to be boosted just ahead of Christmas,” he said.

Josephine O’Sullivan is allergic to Moderna and Pfizer/Biontech, and had been to City Hall to see if an alternative booster could be arranged for her. The efforts of the staff at the centre left her hopeful.

“I feel very vulnerable because of not having a booster. Having spoken with the pharmacist here in City Hall today I feel there may be some hope for me. They’re forwarding my GP letter to the powers that be, and they are also going to follow through with Janssen and see if that's a likely substitute,” she said.

The vaccination centre at City West in Dublin held a walk-in booster clinic for people aged 50 to 69 between 8.30am and 12.30 on Monday.

Waiting time including allowing for a 15-minute monitoring period varied between 60 and 90 minutes, getting shorter as the morning went on.

Bridget Harris, who went through in less than an hour, said it was much faster than when her sister was at the same centre last week.

“It was very well-organised, no delays and the volunteers were very considerate,” she said.

“I wanted to get it so I can go on my holidays next year,” she said.

“It was grand, not bad at all,” said Conor O’Reilly. “The queues have been going down. It was moving very swiftly, you can see a lot of people working away inside.” He is hopeful boosters will help to prevent a wave of Omicron infections, he said.

Brid Boland had her first doses in the Aviva, but said the week-day appointments at City West suited her better this time around. “I’m relieved to get it done, I don’t think people mind traveling to a centre as long as they know it will be done on time,” she said.

Andy, who didn’t wish to give his surname, spent about one hour and a half waiting, he said, but had no complaints.

“There were about 300 people in front of me when I arrived, the car-park was jammers but it was moving very quickly,” he said.