Portlaoise has one of lowest Covid-19 booster jab rates

Just over half of people living in Portlaoise and the surrounding local electoral area (LEA) has one of the lowest rates for booster vaccination in Ireland with little response to the recent spike in cases.

The Central Statistics Office has published figures on July 27 for across Ireland in its latest COVID-19 Vaccination Bulletin which is based on COVID-19 vaccinations and additional doses 1 and 2 given up to 30 June 2022.

The stats show that 51% of people in the Portlaoise Municipal District area had received a booster vaccine after being fully vaccinated against the virus. 

The rate in Graiguecullen Portarlington was 57%. The highest uptake is in the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District which is the least populated. A total of 60% of eligible people have received a third shot in this area which borders the Offaly, Tipperary and Kilkenny borders.

The Covid-19 additional dose 1 rates by LEA as of 30 June 2022 ranges from 36% to 74% across the country.

The CSO also presented the fully vaccinated rates for those aged 5 to 11 years by LEA as of June 30. The average fully vaccinated rate in 5- to 11-year-olds is 21% across all LEAs, ranging from 4% to 53%.

The highest uptake is in Port / Graigue which is the only area that has an above average rate. Nearly a quarter of children have been fully vaccinated in the area that touches the borders of Kilare, Carlow, Kilkenny and Offaly.

Borris / Mountmellick has an 18% uptake with the lowest rate in Portlaoise where 18% of younger children have been vaccinated.

Laois has had one of the highest rates of Covid-19 infection during the summer 2022 wave of the pandemic.