The Covid-19 vaccine portal is open as children aged between 12 to 15-years-old are set to receive their first jabs within days.
The portal was due to open for this group on Friday, August 12, but instead, it launched ahead of schedule on Thursday, August 11.
Kids availing of the jab will receive their vaccine "within days" of registering, according to the HSE.
The majority of these young people will be inoculated in vaccination centres, with some others likely to get the injection from GPs or pharmacies.
Damien McCallion, the HSE's national lead for the Covid-19 vaccination programme, said it will be just "a couple of days" before the vaccines to young teens will begin being administered.
For the 12-15-year-old group, parental consent will be required before they can receive their vaccines, which will be either Pfizer or Moderna.
Mr McCallion said that as many slots as possible will be allocated to parents who register their children on Thursday, Friday and into the weekend.
McCallion also said it's understandable if parents and guardians have concerns about vaccinating children and he advised them to access all information available from the health service and experts before making up their minds.
Who can register
Parents or guardians of 12 to 15-year-olds can register their children. 12 to 15-year-olds cannot register themselves.
What vaccines are being offered?
Everyone will be offered either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.
Things you need to register online
To register online, you need the following:
- mobile phone number and email address – if you are registering a child, use your own contact details
- PPS number – if you are registering a child, use their PPS number
- Eircode – if you are registering a child, use their Eircode
If you do not have these things, call the COVID-19 helpline to register by phone instead.
The HSE will send you text messages with your or your child's vaccination appointment details. This text will arrive 3 to 7 days before the appointments.
What the government are saying
Health authorities and the government are urging people in this age cohort to get a Covid-19 vaccine.
They particularly recommend young people to get vaccinated if they:
- have a health condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19
- live with someone who is at higher risk of COVID-19
The vaccine will especially help protect any young people from the following:
- mild to severe Covid-19 illness
- multisystem inflammatory syndrome due to Covid-19
- the risk of developing ‘long Covid' symptoms, such as tiredness and fatigue
- spreading Covid-19 to others
The vaccines are safe for children
The vaccines being offered to children in Ireland aged 12 to 15 are the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
Both vaccines are approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as safe and effective. They are recommended in Ireland by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC).
There have been trials on these vaccines. More than 2,000 children aged 12 to 15 participated in the Pfizer clinical trial, while 3,700 children aged 12 to 17 were involved in the Moderna clinical trial.
No new safety concerns were reported in children aged 12 to 15 after these trials.
Children who should not get a Covid vaccine
A Covid-19 vaccine is recommended for most children aged 12 to 15, however, the Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 vaccines are not recommended if your child has:
- had a severe allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in either of these vaccines, including polyethylene glycol or PEG
- been told by a doctor that they should not have the Moderna or the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine
- had myocarditis after a previous dose of the Moderna or the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine
The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is not recommended if your child has had a severe allergic reaction to Trometamol - a contrast dye used in MRI radiological studies.
Talk to your child’s doctor before getting the vaccine if your child has had:
- a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) in the past, including to any other vaccine or medication
- pericarditis after a previous dose of the Moderna or the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine
If you decide not to vaccinate your child
If you decide not to get your child vaccinated, there is a greater risk they could get Covid-19. Their symptoms will most likely be mild if they get the virus, but they will still need to isolate from others. This means they may miss school and other activities.
You will need to take extra care to protect your 12 to 15-year-old against Covid-19.
Potential side effects of the vaccine in children
Vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are mild or moderate in children and do not last long. Side effects can include a sore arm, fever or tiredness.
Very rarely, some children aged 12 and above can develop inflammation of the heart (myocarditis) and the outer lining of the heart (pericarditis). The risk of myocarditis is higher in boys after their second dose.
Data from the United States estimates that the risk of myocarditis in boys aged 12 to 17 is about 1 in 16,000. In girls of the same age, the risk is 1 in 100,000. This is after they got their second dose.
Most people recover from myocarditis and pericarditis on their own but they may need treatment in hospital.
