Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said the online vaccine portal to register for a Covid-19 vaccine will open for 12-15 year olds from next Thursday.
Minister Donnelly made the announcement on Twitter on Thursday and said he is encouraging “parents and these young people to seek information from reliable sources such as the HSE website” to decide whether to get a Covid-19 vaccine.
Children aged 12-15 years old will receive an mRNA vaccine - Pfizer or Moderna.
In his announcement, Minister Donnelly shared information from the HSE which states that children aged 12 to 15 should get a Covid-19 vaccine when it is offered to them.
It states getting vaccinated is particularly important if a child is aged between 12 to 15 and has a health condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness from Covid-19.
And also for a child that lives with someone who is at higher risk of Covid-19.
Getting your child vaccinated is a personal decision “and you may decide to wait,” the HSE information states.
The news comes after Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced that the Government has secured an extra 700,000 vaccines from Romania through the EU.
Minister Donnelly said today that the uptake for Covid-19 vaccines in Ireland “is amazing.”
He added: “The participation by people getting fully vaccinated will benefit not just themselves but all of us and our communities.”
Minister Donnelly directed parents to the HSE website to read about vaccines for children aged 12-15.
You can read the HSE's information on vaccinations for children aged 12-15 years here.
