Health officials are considering the possibility of introducing a 'no jab, no job' policy for healthcare workers.
If implemented, it would require all healthcare staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19, following similar moves made by counties such as New Zealand.
The HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said the majority of healthcare workers in Ireland are already vaccinated, however, the measure is being considered for those who have not yet taken the jab.
"This will be a decision for Government, and it's something we are considering in the HSE, but I would say is that the overwhelming majority of healthcare workers not only have embraced the vaccine, but have also acted as advocates for their patients and for their colleagues at work," he told Newstalk.
Dr Henry also addressed the rising number of patients in hospital with the virus after it was confirmed there are now 400 Covid patients receiving treatment, the highest level recorded since March.
"Some of this is a lagging effect of the feed through from cases to causing harm- who it is causing harm among, breakthrough infections, and unvaccinated people.
"There's still probably somewhere between 40,000-50,000 [people] out there over the age of 40 who are unvaccinated. The question is, how quickly they get it and over what timeframe, because it's not just the harm to themselves but also the pressure it will put on the healthcare system," he said.
