COVID vaccine booster shots should only be rolled out to the vulnerable - with the rest of Ireland's extra supply sent to poorer countries, according to a leading immunologist.

Officials are expected to greenlight a booster campaign for the vulnerable and frontline workers from as soon as next month.

That is despite calls from the WHO for countries not to consider booster campaigns until the rollout is well underway in countries with low vaccine supplies.

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee is currently considering whether a booster campaign is needed – and what the interval should be between second and third doses.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Dr Elizabeth Ryan from the University of Limerick said there is no need for a population-wide campaign.

She called for the boosters to be reserved for those who need them most.

“It is too soon for the healthy normal population,” she said. “We don’t need it yet.

“It is not too for people we would generally recommend to get the flu vaccine anyway. So, people who have compromise immune systems, they would have got the vaccine earlier in the year and for them it is probably a good time to get the booster.”

It comes as the HSE welcomed the largest delivery of vaccine doses to date this morning.

Some 540,000 arrived in Ireland today – bolstered by the first batch of Covid vaccines purchased from Romania.

Dr Ryan said that, once the vulnerable receive their boosters, any excess supply should be sent to poorer countries.

“We should not roll out a population-wide booster campaign just yet,” she said. “I don’t think there is any need for that and the vast majority of our vaccine supply should go to people in other countries where they have limited access to vaccines.

“That just really makes sense.”

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