![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/2.59050322.jpg\")
People aged between 60 and 64 will be able to register online for a Covid-19 vaccination from Friday.<\/p>\nPeople aged between 60 and 64 will be able to register online for a Covid-19 vaccination from Friday.<\/p>\n
The HSE\u2019s vaccine portal has been open to people between the ages of 65 and 69 since last week.<\/p>\n
To date, more than 143,000 have registered through the online system, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said.<\/p>\n
He added that vaccination of this group is already underway across the country.<\/p>\n
From Friday it will be extended to people in the 60-64 age bracket.<\/p>\n
Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin said: \u201cThe vaccine portal opens for everyone aged 60 to 64 tomorrow morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe HSE are asking people aged 64 to register first on Friday for their Covid vaccine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will then work our way down through those aged 63 to 60.\u201d<\/p>\n
It comes as the National Immunization Advisory Committee (Niac) is set to meet on Thursday to discuss the European Medicines Agency conclusion that the benefits of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine outweigh the risks of unusual blood clotting as a very rare side-effect.<\/p>\n
Almost 15,000 doses of the single-shot vaccine have arrived in Ireland but have yet to be administered \u2014 though it is now expected to roll out in Ireland as early as next week.<\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar has urged Niac to allow the Johnson & Johnson jab to be given to people under the age of 60.<\/p>\n
Last week Niac ruled that the under-60s should not be given the AstraZeneca vaccine due to a similar rare blood clotting issue.<\/p>\n
Professor Sam McConkey said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be \u201cvery useful\u201d in the rollout of the vaccination program.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m delighted the EMA has said \u2018Give it a license\u2019. It is licensed to sell here and I hope it is a substantial part of our national plan to get us out of Covid-19, and hopefully we can get a supply of it,\u201d he told Newstalk Breakfast.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I look at the small risk of clots\u2026 People have bandied around one in a million, but when we see the data from the US, that\u2019s sort of exactly where it\u2019s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said if the risk of severe illness or death from the virus is weighed up against the risk of severe side effects, it differs depending on the person\u2019s age.<\/p>\n
Prof McConkey said there is almost an \u201cequal risk-benefit\u201d from taking the vaccine for people aged around 20.<\/p>\n
But he added that for those aged 25-30 there is \u201cclearly a substantial benefit\u201d from having the vaccine.<\/p>\n