HSE to offer booster shots for people over 50 from tomorrow

"We will also have walk-in centres open to people to get their vaccine and as ever we encourage everybody to avail of the vaccine. 

"If they turn up at a vaccination centre, they will be in the system, they will be automatically entered — we track all of the appointments.

"It's really important, especially with a new variant, that we try to protect as many people as possible," she said.

Ms O’Connor has acknowledged the challenge facing the vaccination campaign in “joining up the dots” between the three different channels offering booster vaccines.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Ms O’Connor explained that the booster vaccine was available through vaccination centres, GPs, and pharmacies and that the HSE was now trying to amend the system.

Some people had gone to their local pharmacy to get their booster vaccine and then had received an appointment at a vaccination centre, she said. 

She called on people to cancel their vaccination centre appointment if they have received their booster through their GP or pharmacy.

“We have challenges with the system. There is a time lag,” Ms O'Connor said, adding it is important to get the figures onto the system.

The priority for the HSE is to get as many people fully vaccinated as possible.

When asked about the lower levels of people in the 60 to 69 years cohort who have received their booster vaccine, Ms O’Connor pointed out that not everyone in that age group would have had their second vaccine more than five months ago. 

That was “a natural limiter”, she said.

Ms O’Connor also said people are possibly apprehensive or busier, now that many were back at work, or they are preparing for Christmas. But the vaccine is important as is the booster, she said.

To date, more than one million people had received their booster vaccine.

The chairman of the Irish Medical Organisation’s GP Committee Dr Denis McCauley, meanwhile, has described the failure of people to attend booster vaccine appointments at vaccination centres as “very disrespectful". 

There were very few no-shows at GP surgeries, he told Newstalk Breakfast,  as people knew their GP personally.

Now was not the time for “messing” he said.

“If you get a vaccine appointment, make sure that you go there rather than getting your hair done or going shopping or if it is a work thing, stay on the helpline to get a new appointment.

“Be respectful of the mass vaccination centres. These are people who are working very hard and it is very disrespectful to have over 80,000 people not turn up in one week. 

"It is not appropriate. You wouldn’t do it to your GP so why are you doing it to these healthcare workers.” 

There was also a concern that some people were waiting to see what happens with the Omicron variant before getting their booster. 

Dr McCauley said that the booster would greatly reduce the chances of picking up the virus or having to go into hospital.

Dr McCauley said there needed to be “a call to arms” for people to get vaccinated and he warned that when more information about Omicron emerged, booster appointments could be harder to come by.