Appointments can be made online.

All children between the ages of 5-11 can now book an appointment for their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine through the online HSE portal.

Last week, eligibility was extended to children in that age cohort who are high-risk or who live with somebody who is high-risk.

In order to register a child for the vaccine, parents must provide:

• child’s name and date of birth
• parent’s mobile phone number
• parent’s email address
• child’s PPS number
• child’s Eircode

A parent must also be present at the vaccination, and give consent either online, over the phone or in-person. If consent is given in advance, it is then possible for another adult to bring the child to their vaccine appointment.

The latest step forward in the vaccination programme comes as hospitalisations due to Covid soar. As of Monday morning, there are 804 people in hospital due to Covid. ICU numbers remain relatively stable, with 87 people currently in ICU.