Ireland has one of the high uptakes of Covid-19 boosters in older people in Europe, according to a new report.
It is also the only country in Europe where a majority of over-80s have received a third booster, the report by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) shows.
In many parts of Europe, the popularity of Covid-19 vaccines plummeted by the time of a third booster round, but in Ireland 57.2 per cent of over-80s and 37.8 per cent of over-65s have been administered a third booster.
In its report, the ECDC recommends that countries plan now for the continued roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines this year, with the a focus on protecting older adults and other vulnerable groups.
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The uptake of the second booster in Ireland last year was 77 per cent among over-60s, second only to the 86.6 per cent recorded in Denmark. Danish uptake of the third booster in this age group then crashed to 2.2 per cent.
Among over-60s, 93.1 per cent of Irish over-80s received the second booster, marginally behind Denmark.
Uptake in different countries may be influenced by national policies on eligibility though generally in Europe all countries offer boosters to older age groups. This year, all adults in Ireland were made eligible for a second booster.
Severe Covid-19 continues to disproportionately affect older people and those with underlying conditions, according to the disease watchdog. In each successive wave, it says, over-65s account for the biggest increase in hospital and ICU admissions and deaths, and hospital stays increase with age.
[ Covid vaccine uptake drops sharply as fewer younger adults boosted in past yearOpens in new window ]
There were 387 patients with Covid-19 in Irish hospitals on Wednesday, including 12 in ICU. With 582 patients waiting for admission to a bed, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called on the HSE to take specific steps to avoid overcrowding next week, after Easter.
While all EU states recommended booster shots last year, uptake varied hugely between countries. “In general, every subsequent booster dose added to vaccination campaigns shows lower uptake,” the ECDC notes.
Although only a fraction of infections are detected now, the ECDC says there are high levels of ongoing transmission of the virus – fluctuating around levels comparable to those reported in late 2020 and 2021 – and vulnerable groups therefore have a high risk of exposure.
Covid-19 has yet to establish a seasonal pattern but its impact is much higher during the traditional flu season in winter.
While data suggests boosters provide added protection against severe outcome, these studies were mostly carried out at a time when the dominant variant was different from now.
“Longer follow-up is needed to determine the long-term protective effect of a bivalent booster against severe outcomes,” according to the ECDC.
The ECDC suggests an autumn vaccination campaign this year aim at over-60s could cut Covid-19 hospitalisation by up to one-third if a high uptake is achieved.
Coming this with a spring vaccination campaign for over-80s could achieve a 36-44 per cent reduction in hospitalisations, but only if uptake is high in both campaigns.
