Covid-19 booster vaccines for children aged 12-15 to begin this weekend

Parents of children aged 12-15-years old can now book an appointment online for their children to receive a Covid-19 booster vaccine.

The Health Service Executive said it will begin to offer booster doses of the jab to those aged 12 years and over at vaccine centres from Saturday, March 5th. Walk-in clinics will also be available over the weekend for this eligible cohort.

Those aged 12-15 years must wait six months since their last vaccine before obtaining their booster, while the interval for those who are immunocompromised in this age group is three months. Individuals will not receive their booster dose if the minimum interval has not passed on the day of the vaccine appointment, the HSE said.

If a child has recently tested positive for Covid-19, they must wait six months after their positive result or when symptoms started before coming forward for the booster.

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Children in this age group must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to give consent for the vaccination.

Dr Lucy Jessop, director of public health at the national immunisation office, welcomed the opening of the booster programme to this age group.

“As we have seen society opening up in recent weeks, this next stage of the booster vaccine programme is welcome as it will give us even more protection against Covid-19 as we move forward,” she said.

“For 12-15 year-olds, it’s important to leave a gap of six months between the last Covid-19 vaccine or if they had Covid-19. We would encourage everyone to come forward as the booster dose offers the best protection against the serious effects of Covid-19.”