Covid vaccine registration for 25-29 year olds to open on Friday

Those aged between 18 and 34 can currently receive Janssen jab from pharmacies

Registration for 25 to 29-year-olds for a Covid-19 mRNA vaccine will open on Friday, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said.

The age cohort will be able to register on the HSE’s vaccine portal online or by telephone (1850 24 1850).

Registration for an mRNA vaccine – the Pfizer and Moderna jabs – was due to open for the age cohort towards the end of this month, but Mr Donnelly said on Thursday morning this will now happen on Friday.

Registration for people aged between 18 and 34 who want to receive an AstraZeneca vaccine is also expected to open on Friday.

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Those aged between 18 and 34 can currently receive the one-shot Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (J&J) jab from around 800 participating pharmacies around the country.

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) recently changed its advice to allow people aged under 40 to receive the J&J and AstraZeneca shots as the State seeks to widen the vaccine rollout amid concern about the spread of the Delta variant.

Paul Reid, chief executive of the HSE, said on Thursday that five million vaccines will have been administered this week, and that 58 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns is a reporter for The Irish Times