Covid booster rollout for 40-49 age group to begin today

HSE CEO Paul Reid urged those in this cohort to avail of their booster as soon as they can. File Picture: Sam Boal/ RollingNews.ie

People in the 40 to 49 age group will be able to receive their Covid-19 boosters at vaccination centres, participating pharmacies, and GP practices from today.

Boosters for this group had originally been due to commence on December 27, but the date has been moved forward amid the rapid spread of the Omicron Covid variant.

In Cork, there will be three walk-in clinics open for those eligible.

Cork City Hall will be open from 8am to 8pm, Mallow primary healthcare centre from 9.15am to 4.15pm and Bantry primary care centre from 9.30am until 4pm.

📍City Hall
Boosters for 50 to 69 year olds and healthcare workers: 8am to 8pm
📍Mallow
Boosters for 50 to 69 year olds: 9.15am to 4.15pm
📍Letterkenny Business Park
Boosters for 50 to 69 year olds and healthcare workers:  9am to 7.10pm
Dose 1 and 2: 9am to 7.10pm

— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) December 18, 2021

This morning, both HSE CEO, Paul Reid and HSE Chief Clinical Officer, Dr Colm Henry urged those in this cohort to avail of their booster as soon as they can.

"I am urging all those eligible for their Covid booster vaccine to avail of it," Dr Henry said.

"We want the protection provided by the booster to be as robust as possible over the winter months.

"We have multiple channels to access a Covid-19 vaccine and I am making a public call to those who remain unvaccinated to take this opportunity as soon as possible in order to ensure they are protected from serious illness from Covid-19."

Mr Reid also said that 1.46m boosters and third dose vaccines have now been administered in Ireland.

We're bringing forward the 40-49 ages for booster vaccines to now commence from tomorrow (Sunday 19th Dec). Please take the earliest opportunity to do so via Vaccination Centres (incl walk-ins), GPs (they will contact you) or contact your Pharmacy. @HSELive

— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) December 18, 2021

From Monday to Friday, some 250,000 jabs were administered nationwide.

“A great response once again from the Irish public to strengthen our protection,” he said.

Last night, on foot of new advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), Taoiseach Mícheál Martin announced that a host of new restrictions would come into effect from midnight on Sunday.

Under the new measures:

• All pubs and restaurants close at 8pm;
• Indoor events, cinemas, and theatres close at 8pm;
• Indoor events will be capped at 50% or 1,000 attendees;
• Outdoor events capped at 50% or 5,000 attendees;
• Weddings can continue beyond 8pm, but guest capacity is limited to 100 people;
• Close contacts of confirmed cases who have not received their third dose must restrict their movements for 10 days. Those who have received their must restrict for five days and take three antigen tests;
• Everyone coming from abroad must produce a negative antigen or PCR test and is being advised to take antigen tests after they arrive.

Dr Tony Holohan and Taoiseach Mícheál Martin speaking to the media at Government Buildings last night. Picture: Julien Behal 

The Taoiseach said the new measures were necessary given the emergence of the Omicron variant which health officials estimate is is four times more transmissible than the Delta variant, and now makes up 35% of Covid cases nationally.

Omicron is set to overtake Delta as the dominant Covid variant in Ireland over the next week.

Mr Martin warned of a potential "massive rise in infections” over the Christmas period.

Indeed, both Paul Reid and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan have warned that, even under the most pessimistic of scenarios, Nphet modelling expects daily confirmed case totals to exceed 20,000 in the coming weeks, with the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 likely to hit 2,000.

The Taoiseach called on the public to stay safe over Christmas.

"We will come through this latest setback as we have come through everything else that Covid has thrown at us — together," he said. 

"We may have to dig a little bit deeper to access it this time, but the unique resilience, solidarity and trust in science that has marked Ireland out across the world will get us through this too.”