A Wexford GP admits there is some confusion surrounding young people being eligible for their booster vaccine.
The Ross Bercon Medical Centre in New Ross in County Wexford is taking anyone over the age of 16 to get their booster shot next Thursday, as part of a weekly walk-in clinic.
Its service is open to all, with hundreds of booster vaccines still to be administered to anyone eligible for a booster shot, regardless of age.
That's despite HSE advice, indicating that booster doses will only be available to people in the 16-34 age bracket from the 10th of January onwards.
Speaking to Beat News, GP Michael O'Byrne says the HSE advice has been confusing.
"Yeah there is an element of confusion there.
"We had actually stopped giving COVID vaccines, and then about 190 days ago Micheál Martin and company put pressure on the GPs and said 'look lads, we need to get as many boosters into people as possible, can GPs come back and start vaccinating.
"We've got a supply of around 1,000 vaccines from the HSE about a week ago, so there's still plenty there.
"We are giving boosters to anyone over 16, they don't have to be in any particular age group."
Other medical centres and pharmacies are now doing the same, as young people look to get themselves boosted with record cases being announced across the country.
It's as PCR tests won't now be ordered for people over three or under forty until a positive antigen test.
The major change to testing arrangements follows a new all-time daily record infection rate of 20,554.
Healthcare workers and the medically vulnerable will still be sent for PCR testing.
The self-isolation period has also been cut from ten days to seven for those with a booster vaccine or a recent breakthrough infection.
