The protection from previous doses or a COVID-19 infection may weaken over time.
Booster doses help boost your antibodies and give you good protection from becoming seriously ill or needing to go to hospital if you get COVID-19.
Seasonal boosters are recommended for some people at higher risk of COVID-19 illness.
Who can get a seasonal booster
Autumn-winter booster doses are now available.
You will be offered a booster dose if you are:
- age 60 and older
- age 18 to 59 living in a long-term care facility
- age 6 months to 59 years with a weak immune system
- age 6 months to 59 years with a condition that puts you at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19
- a healthcare worker
- pregnant - booster doses needed during pregnancy
If you're age 18 to 59 and not in one of the groups above, you can still request a vaccine. Talk to your GP or pharmacist about your reasons for wanting a booster.
You can get your COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same time.
How long to wait
You should wait at least 3 months since your last COVID-19 vaccination or COVID-19 infection before getting your booster. Talk to your GP or pharmacist for advice.
There is different advice if you are pregnant.
How to get a booster dose
If you're age 12 or older, you can:
- go to a participating pharmacy
- go to your GP if they are offering COVID-19 vaccination
- call HSELive on 1800 700 700 to find out where is offering vaccines near you
Children age 6 months to 11 years
Children under 12 must go to a walk-in clinic for their vaccine.
Which vaccine you will be offered
You will be offered an adapted Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine as a booster dose. This is an mRNA vaccine.
Adapted vaccines work in the same way as the original Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. But they are expected to give even more protection against circulating COVID-19 variants.
You may get a non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine when available if an mRNA vaccine is not suitable, or you choose not to have an mRNA vaccine.
COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine
You can get your COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same time.
You may experience an increase in side effects after getting both vaccines together. These will be mild and should not last long.
Side effects
Side effects may include:
- pain in your arm (or arms) where you had the vaccines
- fatigue (feeling tired)
- headache
- muscle aches and pain
If you feel uncomfortable, take paracetamol or ibuprofen following the instructions on the box or leaflet.
Booster dose safety
Many countries have given multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccines. There have not been any unexpected safety concerns so far. The safety of the vaccines continues to be monitored by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
The side effects of the adapted Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are similar to the original vaccines. The most common side effects are headache, fever and tiredness.
Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammatory heart conditions and are very rare risks of mRNA vaccines.
These rare side effects are more common in men under the age of 30 years after their second primary vaccine dose. The risk of these side effects appears to be lower after the first booster.
If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to trometamol, you should not get an adapted mRNA vaccine.
If you have any concerns about getting a booster, talk to your GP, nurse, pharmacist or vaccinator.
After your COVID-19 booster dose
You need to wait in the clinic for 15 minutes after the vaccine. This is to make sure that you feel well before you leave.
If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) in the past, you may need to wait 30 minutes.
Get medical care immediately if you:
- have difficulty breathing
- feel dizzy
- have a fast heartbeat
- have a skin rash
These could be a sign of an allergic reaction. But serious allergic reactions are rare.