• Parents and legal guardians are invited to bring their 12 to 15 year old children to a walk-in clinic for a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine
• Consent is required by a parent or legal guardian on the day of vaccination
• Walk-in services open to everyone (age 12+) find your local clinic on HSE.ie

The HSE has scheduled walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinics for adults and children aged 12 and over. These clinics are open to anyone in Ireland aged 12 or over who is not yet vaccinated. There will be additional Dose 2 clinics available for people awaiting their second dose (with sufficient time passed since first dose).

All COVID-19 vaccines are free of charge and will give you protection from COVID-19.  

Damien McCallion, Director of the National Vaccination Programme welcomes the development:

“With schools soon returning after the summer break we are keen to ensure people have the best possible access to vaccination for their children. This is an important next step in Ireland’s vaccination rollout, where Ireland’s younger population can get their COVID-19 vaccination in a trusted and safe environment.  

Parents and legal guardians are welcome to bring their children aged 12 and over to their local participating walk-in clinic this weekend to ensure they have the best protection possible from the virus. A helpful decision guide and information is available on our website HSE.ie as well as the full list of clinics operating over the coming days.”

What vaccine is available

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna  vaccines) are available at these walk-in vaccination centres.

At the moment, people will be offered a second dose of the same vaccine they previously received (i.e. persons who received a Pfizer Dose 1 must attend a Pfizer clinic for their Dose 2, people who have received Moderna must attend a Moderna clinic for their Dose 2). 

People can go to any dose 2 walk-in clinic location as long as their vaccination is due and they have proof of their first dose (e.g. their vaccination record card). It does not matter if the first dose was given through a GP, pharmacy or in another country. 

People attending a Pfizer Dose 2 walk-in clinic must have received their Pfizer Dose 1 at least 21 days prior (people will not get Dose 2 unless at least 21 days have passed).

People attending a Moderna Dose 2 walk-in clinic must have received their Moderna Dose 1 at least 28 days prior (people will not get Dose 2 unless at least 28 days have passed). 

Two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are needed for best possible protection against COVID-19.

It takes 7 days after the second dose for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to work. This is when a person is fully vaccinated. It takes 14 days after getting the 2nd dose of Moderna for it to work. People are urged to take up the second dose of their Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Attending a Vaccination Centre

Please see a link to the timings and locations of the walk-in vaccination centres here. Timings in the designated vaccination centres will vary across locations. For more information on going to a walk-in vaccination clinic, see the HSE website. 

A parent or legal guardian will need to give consent for their child to get their COVID-19 vaccine at the walk in vaccination centre. The child getting the vaccine will also be asked if they are happy to get the vaccine at their appointment. Children attending alone will not be vaccinated. 

What to bring

Children aged 12 to 15 should bring a form of identification with their date of birth on it, (e.g. their passport or birth certificate, PPS Card or School ID). If a child does not have any identification, their parent of guardian who brings them to their appointment can confirm their identity and their age.

Everyone attending a walk-in clinic should also wear a face covering and something that will make it easy to get the vaccine in their upper arm, like a short sleeved t-shirt

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine for 12 to 15 year olds visit HSE.ie

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