Pregnant women's access to boosters is a postcode lottery, say advocates

This week also sees the start of first vaccinations for children aged five to 12. Picture: PA

Pregnant women are now being offered boosters, but advocates would like easier access to information and vaccines.

Boosters for this group are available through pharmacies, mass vaccination centres, and some GP practices also. However, access to boosters and reliable information can still depend on where you live, according to AIMS Ireland chairperson Krysia Lynch.

Some women have found themselves without an easy option until now, while some large hospitals including University Maternity Hospital Limerick offered pop-up vaccination clinics on-site.

Ms Lynch said women in less urban areas have told AIMS Ireland of challenging situations.

“The information is still not clear, and there is not equity of access”, she said, noting many smaller maternity units do not have the resources for on-site clinics.

Instead, she is aware of women limiting who they see.

“People have told me they’ve decided the best way to protect themselves is by staying at home where possible. They might move to work from home,” she said.

She said information has improved, but she still hears of problems even from midwives.

“Midwives have said to me they didn’t get a standard information sheet, in the way that you get a leaflet on why it’s a good idea to be immune to rubella. [It says] why you should make sure your rubella vaccination is up to date and you get that for various other risks in pregnancy,” she said.

Pregnant women are warned against eating foods such as soft cheese or using some creams which can lead to a hesitancy around new medications, she said.

“The way the information has been presented has not been helpful, it would be better if this was integrated into the maternity care journey,” she said.

Despite the recently-expanded booster programme, Ms Lynch is still hearing stories from pregnant women of being turned away from centres when they attend for their first or second dose.

She would like to see more clarity given to vaccinators around eligibility for pregnant women.

As case numbers continue to rise, concerns have been also noted about access to boosters for young people who were given the Janssen vaccine during the summer, mostly in July. Studies have shown immunity against Covid-19 wanes more quickly with this vaccine compared with that from the other vaccines in use in Ireland. 

Today a HSE spokeswoman said GPs can offer boosters to their younger patients under 40 but only as long as “all of their patients of higher priority have been offered an appointment” .

In general, for anyone aged 16 to 29 who had Janssen, the advice remains they are eligible “to be boosted in parallel with the 30 to 39 age cohort”, she said.

The HSE plans to publish a revised booster plan including expected vaccination dates for people in their 30s and 20s later this week. Boosters this week are available in the community for over-40s, healthcare workers, pregnant women and people aged 16 to 49 with an underlying condition, she said.

This week also sees the start of first vaccinations for children aged five to 12. This opens on a phased basis, starting in hospitals for children who are at very high risk from the virus. 

The high-risk cohort includes children with lung diseases, cancer, sickle cell disease or an intellectual disability.

On December 28 a registration portal opens for high-risk children including those living with immunocompromised people. The remaining children will be offered vaccines from January 10, also through this portal.