Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 February 2022
635. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if a response will issue to correspondence from a person (details supplied) in respect of the need for clarity on access to the booster certificate for children aged between 12 and 15 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6002/22]
View answerThe EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation creates a framework for the issuing, authentication, and validity of certificates. The scope and parameters for issuing the certificates is laid out in REGULATION (EU) 2021/953.
A Digital COVID Certificate is issued following a medical event related to Covid-19(vaccination, recovery or testing) in the EU Member State. A Digital COVID Certificate cannot be issued for a medical event which did not take place. Only persons who received a booster, under the vaccination schedule of the EU Member State, can be issued a Digital COVID Certificate as proof.
The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The NIAC makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practices in relation to immunisation.
The NIAC has recommended that a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine (irrespective of whether the primary vaccination course was of an mRNA or adenoviral vector) be offered to those aged 16 years and older with the rollout now underway.
The NIAC will continue to examine emerging evidence regarding booster vaccines and will make further recommendations if required.
