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Covid -19 Vaccination Service

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1 Covid-19 Vaccine Primary Course & Booster Dose

For those who are eligible for the Primary Course, the 1st booster is for those 12 years & over, a booster dose if pregnant (if it is the 1st booster at any stage of pregnancy and if it is the 2nd ideally at 20-34 weeks) and those who are due their Seasonal booster dose.

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StayWell Pharmacy COVID-19 Vaccination Service 

COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and remain your best protection against serious illness from the virus. Vaccination recommendations for the Autumn/Winter 2025/2026 season have been updated by the HSE and are based on your age and health status.

Booking Your COVID-19 Vaccine

Our booking system for the Autumn/Winter 2025/2026 season is now open. You can join the waitlist or book your appointment online at selected StayWell Pharmacies* by clicking the “Book Now” button. For StayWell Pharmacies that do not offer online booking, please call or visit them directly to inquire about scheduling an appointment.

 

*Please note: Appointments are subject to vaccine availability, pharmacist availability, and eligibility criteria. Registering your interest does not guarantee a vaccination. Available at selected StayWell Pharmacies only.

Vaccines Available This Season

The current COVID-19 programme uses mRNA vaccines, with different formulations available for specific age groups. The vaccine used for individuals aged 12 years and older is Comirnaty LP.8.1 30mcg.

Who Should Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?

The updated COVID-19 vaccine programme aims to provide year-round protection for those most at risk. The HSE recommends vaccination either once or twice a year for specific groups.

Recommended Twice a Year

A COVID-19 vaccine is recommended twice a year (with a six-month interval) for:

  • Individuals aged 80 years and older.
  • Those aged 18 years and older living in long-term care facilities for older adults.
  • Anyone aged 6 months and older with a weakened immune system (immunocompromised).

Recommended Once a Year

A COVID-19 vaccine is recommended once a year for:

  • Individuals aged 60 to 79 years.
  • Anyone aged 6 months to 59 years with an eligible medical condition that puts them at a higher risk of severe COVID-19.

Vaccinations Available by Choice

A vaccine dose is also available once a year under the HSE programme for the following groups, following a discussion with a healthcare provider:

  • Healthcare workers.
  • Adults aged 18 to 59 years without any other medical risk factors.
  • Pregnant individuals without other risk factors who choose to receive a vaccine.

Eligible Medical Conditions

The following medical conditions are associated with a higher risk of severe COVID-19:

  • Cancer
  • Chronic heart disease
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Chronic liver disease
  • Chronic neurological disease
  • Chronic respiratory disease
  • Diabetes and other metabolic disorders
  • Haemoglobinopathies
  • A Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40kg/m2 or more
  • A weakened immune system (immunocompromise) due to disease or treatment
  • Serious mental health conditions
  • Down syndrome
  • Children with moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disorders

First-Time COVID-19 Vaccinations

If you have never had a COVID-19 vaccine before, it's not too late to get protected.

  • For most people: A single dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is now recommended.
  • For those with a weakened immune system: A primary course of two doses is recommended, 4 weeks apart. A third dose may be advised by your specialist 8 weeks after the second dose.

Specific Advice for Pregnancy

  • If you have a weakened immune system or an eligible medical condition: One dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is recommended in each pregnancy.
  • If you do not have other risk factors: A vaccine dose is available during each pregnancy if you choose to receive one after speaking with your doctor, midwife, or pharmacist.

When Should You Delay Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine?

You should wait 6 months after your last COVID-19 vaccine or a confirmed COVID-19 infection before getting your next dose. In exceptional circumstances (e.g., planned immunosuppressive therapy), this interval may be shortened to 3 months. If you are unwell with a high fever, it is recommended that you postpone your vaccination until you have recovered.

Your Vaccination Appointment

Before you arrive:

  • Please wear a loose-fitting top that allows easy access to your upper arm.
  • Children aged 12-15 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who can provide consent.

During your appointment:

  • Your appointment will last approximately 15-20 minutes.
  • After your vaccination, you will be asked to remain in the pharmacy for a mandatory 15-minute observation period. This is a safety precaution to ensure immediate care in the event of a rare allergic reaction.

After your vaccination:

  • You will be given a record of your vaccination.
  • With your consent, the details of your vaccination will be recorded on the HSE's central IT system to update your immunisation record. 

Side Effects of the COVID-19 Vaccine

Most side effects are mild and short-lived.

  • Very Common (≥1/10): Pain or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills, and fever.
  • Common (≥1/100 to <1/10): Redness at the injection site, nausea, vomiting, or swollen lymph nodes.

If required, you can take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve these symptoms. Myocarditis and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle or lining) are very rare side effects of mRNA vaccines. You should seek medical advice if you experience symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or a racing heart after receiving the vaccination.

Where Can I Get More Information?

For further details, please speak with your StayWell Pharmacist, visit our FAQs, or refer to the official HSE website.


COVID-19 is an illness that can affect your lungs and airways, and sometimes other parts of your body. It is caused by a virus called coronavirus. COVID-19 is highly infectious. It spreads through the air through droplets produced when people cough or sneeze, or when they touch surfaces where the droplets have landed and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. COVID-19 can cause serious illness, hospitalisation and even death. Common symptoms of COVID-19 include: a fever (high temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above) a new cough – this can be any kind of cough, not just dry shortness of breath or breathing difficulties loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you have noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or they smell or taste differently You may not have all these symptoms, or you may just feel generally less well than usual. It can take up to 14 days for symptoms to show. They can be similar to symptoms of cold or flu. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, self-isolate (stay in your room) and phone a GP (Doctor). They can arrange a COVID-19 test for you. For more information on COVID-19, please visit www.hse.ie/coronavirus or call HSELive on 1850 24 1850
Vaccines teach your immune system how to protect you from diseases. It is much safer for your immune system to learn this through vaccination than by catching the diseases and attempting to treat them. Vaccines can reduce or even eradicate some diseases if enough people are vaccinated. The long-term response to the pandemic requires a safe and effective vaccine to be available for all who need it. It is a way to keep you, your friends and family safe, potentially leading to lifting of restrictions.
The Government will let you know when it is your turn and how to get your vaccine through advertising or direct invitation. You will need to read this leaflet and the manufacturer’s Patient Information Leaflet before you get the vaccine. You can find the COVID-19 Vaccine manufacturer’s Patient Information Leaflet on: www.hse.ie/covid19vaccinePIL You can also talk to a healthcare professional in advance. If you decide to get the vaccine, you will give your consent, which will be recorded. The HSE is offering the vaccine free of charge
No. The COVID-19 vaccine cannot give you COVID-19. It is possible to have caught COVID-19 before getting your vaccine and not realise you have the symptoms until after your vaccination appointment. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, it is important to self-isolate (stay in your room) and arrange a free test to find out if you have COVID-19. If you have a fever which starts more than two days after you get the vaccine, or lasts longer than two days, you should self-isolate and ask a GP (Doctor) to arrange a COVID-19 test for you. If you have COVID-19 symptoms after the first dose, you still need to have the second dose. While you may get some protection from the first dose, having the second dose will give you the best protection against the virus
Yes. Even if you have already had COVID-19, you could still get it again. The vaccine will reduce your risk of getting COVID-19 again. Even if you do get COVID-19 again, the vaccine can reduce the seriousness of your symptoms
No. You should delay getting the vaccine if you have a fever (temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above), until you feel better
You can get the COVID-19 vaccine if you are breastfeeding. Talk to your obstetrician, midwife or GP about getting your COVID-19 vaccine if you are pregnant.It's recommended you get your COVID-19 vaccine when it's offered to you. Being vaccinated will reduce the chance of you becoming very unwell. It may also reduce the chance of complications during pregnancy. If you are seriously ill with COVID-19 during pregnancy, complications can include premature labour or stillbirths linked to COVID placentitis. Pregnancy Pregnant women are at similar risk of COVID-19 infection to non-pregnant women of the same age. However, if pregnant women become infected with SARS-COV2 they are at increased risk of hospitalisation, at increased risk of premature delivery if symptomatic in the third trimester and of stillbirth and at significantly higher risk of ICU admission. There is now a growing body of evidence on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination –– clearly indicating that that the benefits of vaccination outweigh any known or potential risks of COVID- 19 vaccination during pregnancy. Vaccination is the best way to protect both mother and baby from serious harm and mRNA vaccines should be available to pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy. Because there is more data available about mRNA vaccines in pregnancy, these vaccines are recommended for pregnant women; all information shows pregnancy complication rates similar to what would normally be expected. No unexpected pregnancy or infant outcomes have been observed related to COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Long term follow up of vaccine recipients is on- going. Please note that women aged less than 30 years should receive Comirnaty®, rather than Spikevax ®as a second, booster or additional dose. There is no evidence that any COVID-19 vaccine affects fertility or the fetus. No unexpected pregnancy or infant outcomes have been observed related to COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.
As with all vaccines, you can report suspected side effects to the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). The HPRA is the regulatory authority in the Republic of Ireland for medicines, medical devices, and other health products. As part of its role in the safety monitoring of medicines, the HPRA operates a system through which healthcare professionals or members of the public can report any suspected adverse reactions (side effects) associated with medicines and vaccines which have occurred in Ireland. The HPRA strongly encourages reporting of suspected adverse reactions (side effects) associated with Covid-19 vaccines to support continuous monitoring of their safe and effective use. To report a suspected adverse reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine, please visit www.hpra.ie/report. You can also ask your doctor, or a family member to report this for you. As much information as is known should be provided, and where possible, the vaccine batch number should be included. The HPRA cannot provide clinical advice on individual cases. Members of the public should contact their healthcare professional (their doctor or Pharmacist) with any medical concerns they may have.
No. The COVID-19 vaccines being used produce a protective immune, antibody, response which can be measured by serology blood tests. They do not affect a PCR swab test, which is the basis of diagnosing COVID-19 infection by detecting viral RNA in the nose and throat. They also do not affect the results of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests. PCR tests will be used as part of the vaccine effectiveness assessment in those who are vaccinated and subsequently develop symptoms of COVID-19
Gluten is a family of proteins found in certain cereal grains. The COVID-19 vaccines currently available do not contain gluten.
We do not know yet if having the vaccine stops you spreading the COVID-19 virus to others. That is why it is important that we all continue to follow public health advice on how to stop the spread of the virus. You still need to: • follow social distancing guidelines (keep two metres apart from others where possible) • wear a face covering • wash your hands regularly
When a high proportion of a population receive an effective vaccine, it becomes difficult for the disease to spread, this gives protection to vulnerable people such as newborn babies and other people who cannot be vaccinated, which is known as herd immunity. It is not clear what proportion of people would be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to achieve this because the vaccines against the disease are new and COVID-19 is a global pandemic infection. Therefore, the best protection you can have is to have the vaccination when you are invited to attend and to continue to follow measures to reduce spread like social distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene and face coverings where advised.