Extending the interval between Covid-19 vaccine doses could favour the emergence of mutations, the chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has told an Oireachtas Committee.
Prof Karina Butler said NIAC is still examining whether the intervals should be extended and in doing so "is trying to balance the competing benefits and risks, to see what the best schedule is".
Speaking at a meeting of the Oireachtas Health Committee this afternoon, she said the potential benefit is that "you get some vaccine in to more people".
In the UK, she said, this has contributed significantly to the reduction of hospitalisations and the overall effectiveness rate has been 70%.