Vaccine recommended for pregnant women between 14-36 weeks

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has recommended that mRNA vaccine can offered to pregnant women between 14-36 weeks gestation, after a discussion with their obstetric specialist.

NIAC has also recommended that the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines be made available to people aged 50 and older.

Up to now the AstraZeneca vaccine was essentially limited to people over 60.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that all vaccines can now be used for people over 50 years and protocols will be worked out on how the vaccination recommendation for pregnant women will operate.

Mr Donnelly also said that it looks like around 700,000 vaccinations will have been administered in April.