The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for vaccine makers to prioritise deliveries of Covid-19 jabs to the COVAX dose-sharing facility for poorer countries and said no more doses should go to countries with more than 40 per cent coverage.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said booster shots should not be administered, except to people who are immunocompromised.
"We continue to call on manufacturers of vaccines that already have WHO Emergency Use Listing to prioritise COVAX, not shareholder profit," he said.
The WHO's plea comes as Ireland continues to have the highest Covid-19 vaccination rate in the European Union.
Over 92 per cent of adults in the State are now fully protected, while the rollout of booster jabs to older people and the immunocompromised continues.
The booster rollout will also extend to healthcare workers over the coming days following a recommendation by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) earlier this week.
After Ireland, Malta and Portugal have also achieved very high levels of vaccine uptake, recording 91.7 and 91.5 per cent respectively.
Bulgaria has the lowest rate, at just 26 per cent, while the EU average is less than 76 per cent.
