Extended Covid 19 – Vaccination Course for Immunocompromised

Further guidance has been made available from the National Immunisation Office in relation to additional vaccinations being made available for those patients who are immunocompromised (Immunosuppressed). This information replaces any previously offered on this website.

An additional dose of the Covid 19 vaccine is being made available because of concerns that those who are on certain immunosuppressive treatments, may not have had a full response to vaccination against Covid 19 and may still be at risk of infection.

In effect the guidance received means that most patients attending a rheumatologist (and who are on immunosuppressive medications) will be offered an additional dose of a vaccine.

The extended vaccine course will be offered to those who have already been vaccinated –  and where two months have elapsed since their last vaccine dose (or in the case of those who have had a Covid 19 infection, a total of 6 months since the infection). The Pfizer vaccine will be used, regardless of the type of vaccine previously used.

If you are a patient attending my practice, and are on immunosuppressive treatment your details have already been forwarded to the HSE (7/10/2021) who will in turn contact you about an additional dose of a vaccine.  Most of these vaccinations will be performed by the HSE in vaccination centres so you don’t need to contact your GP.

We would respectfully ask that you don’t ring the office with queries about this at the moment – there will be plenty of vaccine supplies for everybody who needs them.

I attach a copy of the HSE guidance and workflow for those who are interested in the details