Walk-in clinics locally are offering the Spring Covid-19 booster this week.
The HSE South East Community Health (SECH) is urging eligible people to take advantage of the opportunity to receive their free dose – today in Kilkenny or on Thursday in Carlow (see below for regional times and venues).
They say it’s essential to maintain strong protection against severe illness and hospitalisation due to the virus, especially as immunity from previous doses or infections may diminish over time.
Those eligible include anybody aged 80 or older, those living in long-term care facilities for older adults as well as those who have weakened immune systems (age five and up).
Additionally, people aged 70 to 79 can request the vaccine after consulting with a healthcare provider, such as a GP, Pharmacist, or at a Vaccination Centre.
Uptake has been relatively low – as of the 2nd June this year only 38.2% of individuals aged 80 and older and 11.7% of those aged 70 to 79 had completed their booster course.
SECH emphasises the importance of increasing these numbers to protect the most vulnerable populations from potential COVID-19 complications.
Spokesperson Gillian Buggy’s been warning on The KCLR Daily that Covid has not gone away;
