The HSE lead on vaccines is appealing to people to come forward for their booster, amid concerns some doses are close to expiring.

Damien McCallion says they are hoping to maximise the number of people who are eligible.

He told The Pat Kenny Show the drugs only have a 30-day shelf life once they are distributed.

"We also have vaccine out there in all of the channels - 1,300 GPs, 700 pharmacies and 35 vaccination centres - and when we distribute that, we only have a 30-day currency with that vaccine.

"So we want to try and maximise the uptake on that, so that we don't have vaccines expiring.

"We are going to see significant numbers otherwise... falling away and having, expiring I suppose, if we don't get people in.

"So we're really encouraging people this week [to] make a late new years resolution, come in and get your booster.

"You can book an appointment at a time that suits you in the VC, GPs have agreed to take patients other than their own, pharmacies similar.

"So there's lots of opportunities for people, and we would really encourage people to come forward".

Asked whether boosters in danger of expiring could be repurposed and given to younger groups, he says this is a decision for the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC).

"That advice comes to us from NIAC - and they would look at the evidence around that 12 to 15 [age group] as to whether those people should become eligible for it or not, and what the evidence is.

"So we haven't had that advice yet.

"So I suppose from the HSE's perspective at the moment, it's not something that's on our radar.

"We know NIAC are keeping it under review, from discussions we have with them on a weekly basis.

"But at this stage it's not on our radar as an immediate action, let's say, certainly in the coming weeks".