Patients are being asked to stay away from their GP for the next month, unless they have an urgent problem.
It is to allow them to double the amount of COVID-19 boosters they do every week under an accelerated programme.
The GPs vaccinating their own patients will be allowed flexibility to give boosters to people from the age of 16 upwards, but will prioritise older age groups.
Vaccine centres will also be open from 8.00am to 8.00pm every day, while the 15-minute wait time after a jab has been scrapped.
And pharmacies can offer boosters to people aged 50 or over, healthcare workers, pregnant women or those with an underlying health condition.
Dr Denis McCauley is chairman of the GP committee of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO).
He told Newstalk Breakfast they are scaling down other care.
"What we have undertaken is to ask everybody - we've two asks of the general public.
"To bear with us from a non-urgent care [perspective].
"This is the time a lot of people come in for their Christmas check-up, this is the time that we've been doing chronic disease management - all the things that can wait.
"We've asked people to bear with us and accept that these things will have to be deferred until January.
"But we will each day assess emergencies... if somebody has a non-COVID thing like a lump, a bleed, things like that - don't be afraid, we will assess those things".
But he says urgent care and boosters are being prioritised over routine issues.
"That's the plan and that's what we hope to implement [in] the next few weeks.
"So the good health of the population will be catered for, and we will try and vaccinate as many people as is possible".
