The new vaccination centre at North Main St in Cork City began vaccinating children against Covid-19 yesterday.

The centre provides additional capacity for vaccination programmes and is currently being used to vaccinate children aged between five and 11 years of age.

The centre has previously been used for the school immunisation programme and staff flu vaccinations. A spokesperson for Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (CKCH) said that children with underlying conditions or who are otherwise regarded as vulnerable, including those living with people with certain underlying conditions, are being prioritised, and many children in this group have been vaccinated already through the hospital system.

“We wish to thank the team at the North Main St vaccination centre for their work in getting the centre up and running,” said the spokesperson. “The feedback from children, parents, and guardians so far has been very positive.”

The vaccination centre at Bantry will today begin vaccinating children in the five to 11 age group.

It comes as the nation’s public health advisors are understood not to have called for any additional restrictions.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) met yesterday evening to discuss the ongoing Covid situation, and sources have said that it has recommended a continuation of the current restrictions regime until the end of January.

Any changes to rules around isolation for close contacts will not be made until Nphet is satisfied that the peak of the current Omicron wave has passed, which could be next week.