Vaccine boosters should not be used to "paper over the cracks in whatever situation we're in", a virologist has warned. Dr Gerald Barry, Assistant Professor of Virology in UCD, said Covid-19 vaccines "are not designed to protect us against infection, they're designed to reduce the risk of severe illness".
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, he said the current vaccine regime has protected people from severe illness, hospitalisation and death from Covid-19.
Dr Barry said he does agree "to an extent" with a plan to give boosters to people over 65 in long-term residential care and the over 80s living in the community.