With a sharp rise in the number of new Covid-19 cases being reported, the Cork-Kerry Community Healthcare group has strongly advised adults aged between 18 and 49 to avail of their second booster vaccine with appointments available at clinics this week.
There were 20 in-patients being treated for Covid-19 infection in University Hospital Kerry on Monday night with three requiring specialist intensive care.
There were four new cases confirmed on Monday alone and three further suspected cases.
The rising number of cases, confirmed by the Health Service Executive, confirm that there were 575 positive Covid cases nationwide as of 8.00pm on Monday night.
The facilities with the most patients confirmed as being Covid positive were St James’s Hospital in Dublin (55), Cork University Hospital (48) and Cavan Hospital (43).
From this Wednesday, January 11, clinics in Kerry will offer a second booster vaccine to all eligible adults.
Area Director of Public Health, Dr Anne Sheahan, remarked: “We strongly encourage people aged 18 to 49 to avail of the vaccine. It is a very safe vaccine and will offer added protection at a time when we are seeing very high levels of Covid-19 in the community”.
She added that people can still become very sick with the infection and vaccination was the best ammunition against Covid.
There will be walk-in vaccination clinics for those over 12 years of age at the former Borg Warner plant in Monavalley, Tralee this Wednesday from 9.15am to 1.15pm and from 2.00pm to 3.15pm.
Children aged between five and 11 can attend from 3.30pm to 4.30pm this Wednesday and, next Saturday, those aged over 12 can attend from 9.15am to 1.15pm and from 2.00pm-3.15pm.
Booster vaccines may also be available at participating pharmacies and from GPs.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), meanwhile, today called for stronger public health advice on mask-wearing amid the hospital overcrowding crisis.
There are over 534 people without a bed in Irish hospitals today, according to the INMO Trolleywatch count.
“We are once again calling on the chief medical officer to issue stronger public health advice in relation to mandated mask-wearing,” INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said.
“It is time for stronger advice on simple and inexpensive measures such as mask-wearing and handwashing. It shouldn’t be this difficult to issue strong advice in this regard when we are being warned about rising cases of flu, RSV and new Covid variants.”
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