Covid-19 vaccines will be made available for children as young as six months from next Monday.
It follows a National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommendation that Covid-19 vaccines be given to children aged between six months and four years with underlying conditions that put them at higher risk of severe Covid-19.
NIAC also recommended that all children in this group should be offered vaccines to "protect them from severe disease" and "provide extra protection from the rare risk of serious illness from Covid-19".
Children in this age group will require three doses of the vaccine with an interval of three weeks between dose one and two and at least eight weeks between dose two and three.
The vaccine for these children is a smaller dose than those aged between five and 11.
It is also recommended that the Covid-19 vaccine is separated from the administration of other vaccines by 14 days.
NIAC said vaccination would also provide a "modest" benefit in reducing household transmission to people who are immunocompromised or are too young for vaccination.
The Health Service Executive said the decision is also approved by the European Medicines Agency.
A booking portal on the HSE website for the vaccinations will be opened this morning.
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The HSE's National Immunisation Office (NIO) is encouraging parents to familiarise themselves with advice available on the HSE's website.
"While serious illness from Covid-19 in this age group is rare, this vaccine offers further protection particularly for children who have health conditions that put them at high risk of severe Covid-19," NIO specialist in public health medicine Dr Aparna Keegan said.
At present the vaccination is only available through the community vaccination centres.
Community vaccination centres across the country will commence the roll-out of clinics from Monday onwards with many commencing clinics later in the week and over the following weekend.
Clinic details will be updated on the HSE basis on a rolling basis.
The HSE advises parents to check the website for updates on clinic availability in the coming weeks.
Some counties including Mayo and Donegal will commence clinics from the following week 2 March.
If a child has had Covid-19 and their first vaccine dose is due they can be vaccinated from four weeks after they first develop symptoms or test positive for Covid-19.
However, the HSE said it is recommended to wait six months for their vaccine to be most effective.
If a child has had Covid-19 and their second or third vaccine dose is due they can be vaccinated from four weeks after they first develop symptoms or test positive for Covid-19.
Appointments may be booked up to seven days in advance.
A parent or legal guardian will need to give consent for their child to get their Covid-19 vaccine and they must also attend the appointment in person to give consent.
