People at risk urged to book their free covid booster

Following advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) the terms of eligibility for the spring covid booster have been reduced. See below for details. Stock picture

People are being urged to avail of the covid-19 spring booster before the vaccine programme is paused for the summer — and a new coronavirus variant has been confirmed in Ireland.

A total of 17 cases of the new variant, named KP.2 or FLiRT, have been confirmed in Ireland in the past five weeks.

Those eligible for the covid booster will need to make their appointment before Friday, June 14.

The terms of eligibility have been reduced for the spring booster on advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee.

“While vaccination just prior to the winter season likely provides the greatest benefit for the majority of individuals requiring revaccination, certain very high-risk groups require more frequent vaccination, hence a dose in spring is indicated,” a HSE spokesperson said.

People all over Ireland went to covid vaccination centres, such as this one in Tralee, back in December 2021 at the height of the pandemic. Those centres, and the queues, are gone. But people most at risk are being urged to make an appointment for a follow-up booster shot. Picture: Domnick Walsh

People living in long-term care facilities for older adults, those aged 80 and over, and those aged five and older who are immunocompromised can avail of the free booster vaccine.

People aged between 70 and 79 can also request a vaccine if they wish following consultation with their GP.

Meanwhile, statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the covid-19 pandemic wiped out nearly a decade of progress in improving life expectancy in the space of just two years.

Between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy dropped by 1.8 years to 71.4 years — back to the level in 2012.

Similarly, global healthy life expectancy dropped by 1.5 years to 61.9 years in 2021.

The effects were found to have hit unequally across the world with the Americas and South East Asia the hardest hit. Life expectancy in these regions dropped by around three years.

The Western Pacific region was minimally affected with a loss of less than 0.1 years in life expectancy and 0.2 years in healthy life expectancy.

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the statistics serve as a stark reminder of how fragile progress can be.

“That’s why the new pandemic agreement is so important — not only to strengthen global health security, but to protect long-term investments in health and promote equity within and between countries,” he said.