Covid-19 vaccines are going to waste as people are not turning up for their booster appointments, especially young people, a Co Monaghan GP has said.
Speaking on the Brendan O'Connor programme on RTÉ Radio 1, Dr Illona Duffy, said she has seen a decrease in demand for boosters since last week and gave the example of her last vaccine clinic last week with "drop outs." She acknowledged that the reason for this decline in booster uptake is two fold, as she said some people have to wait three months until they can get their booster after being infected with Omicron, but she said many others feel they don't need to get it. "They think, 'why bother, we don't need it to get into the pubs and restaurants?'," she said, referencing changes to Covid-19 restrictions announced on Friday.
Dr Duffy said it makes her question some aspects of the reopening, such as the removal of Digital Covid Certs for hospitality. "So what is the incentive now to get the vaccine?," she asked. "We are getting mixed messages here.
We are getting one being told we don't need these vaccine certs anymore to get in anywhere, on the other hand 'let's keep pushing the boosters and.trying to get these vaccines into arms'." Booster vaccines have played a huge role in keeping people safe, she said. "Before Christmas we had lots of people coming forward and then it dropped to perhaps six a day," she said, "we know vaccines are going to waste".