4th Jab Required As Ireland Braced For Next Wave Of Cases

Govt ‘concern’ as 1,000 in hospital also have virus

- Ferghal Blaney

FOURTH Covid booster jabs could be rolled out this summer as the Government braces itself for future waves of the disease.

It is waiting on official advice from the NIAC, but Leo Varadkar confirmed: “I think we’ll probably need to start the vaccine programme around about the middle of the year.”

And the Tanaiste said the Government is “concerned” that there are still over 1,000 people in hospital with Covid every day.

He added: “The real message to the public is that the pandemic is not over.”

The latest evidence from the WHO shows that vaccine immunity starts to weaken after four to five months.