New advice issued to the HSE allows for the gap between AstraZeneca vaccination doses to be reduced by four weeks.
The National Immunisation Advisory Council (NIAC) has advised that the wait time between the first and second dose of the vaccine can be cut from 12 weeks to eight weeks. The HSE is to consider the new advice and the implications for the vaccine rollout, given the difficulties in securing adequate supplies of the vaccine with the manufacturer struggling to meet delivery orders.
Niac’s advice comes on the back of recent evidence in the UK which showed that one dose of vaccine offers less protection against the Indian variant of the virus (the Delta variant) than two jabs. Responding to the NIAC move,
Labour Leader Alan Kelly said what the public will want to know is if it will be implemented by the HSE, and he called on the Minister for Health to provide clarity. Mr. Kelly said: “This is a welcome development from NIAC but we need clarity on whether the shorter eight-week gap between doses will now be implemented”
For updated and factual Public Health information and advice on COVID-19 Coronavirus, please visit hse.ie/coronavirus or call 1800 700 700
For the latest information on the Covid-19 Vaccine Programme, please visit hse.ie/covid-19-vaccine
