This publication is categorised as a CSO Frontier Series Outputs. Particular care must be taken when interpreting the statistics in this release as it may use new methods which are under development and/or data sources which may be incomplete, for example new administrative data sources.
On 31 March 2023:
Around 6% of people aged 70-79 years, who had a COVID-19 vaccine, had their most recent dose in the last three months.
Seven in ten (72%) people aged 80 years and over, who had a COVID-19 vaccine, had their most recent dose in the last three to 12 months.
The Primary Course Completed rate for 5- to 11-year-olds ranged from 4% in Buncrana in Donegal to 56% in Stillorgan, Dublin, with no significant overall change from February 2023.
Booster 2 rates ranged from a low of 10% in Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart to a high of 41% in Rathfarnham-Templeogue, with no significant overall change from February 2023. Please note that Booster 2 was only offered to certain groups of people (See Editor's Note below for explanations and definitions).
The Local Electoral Areas (LEAs) with the highest monthly change in Booster 2 rates was Blackrock, Clontarf, Killiney, Maynooth and Stillorgan at one percentage point.
Booster 3 rates ranged from a low of 2% in Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart to a high of 16% in Rathfarnham-Templeogue, with no significant overall change from February 2023. It is worth noting that the Booster 3 was only offered to certain groups of people (See Editor's Note below for explanations and definitions).
In the Accommodation & Food Services sector, just 52% of employees had received a booster, 44% had received Booster 1, and 8% had further boosters.
Nearly all (96%) of Irish employees had received a booster, 72% had received Booster 1, with 24% receiving further boosters.
LEA population estimates are updated to reflect the new Census of Population 2022 - Preliminary Results. The vaccination rates should be interpreted as estimates. For example, the number of persons who have received a vaccine only includes those who have been vaccinated in the State and would not include those who may have been vaccinated outside of the State. Further, the denominators used for LEA rates are based on population estimates. For employee rates the denominator used is all those that have a record of employment in the State in 2022 and may include those living abroad and paid by an Irish enterprise or those who are no longer resident in the State. As rates are estimates, this may lead to an underrepresentation or overrepresentation of the vaccination rates for a given grouping or LEA.
Booster 1: Booster 1 was available to people aged 12 years and over.
Booster 2: Booster 2 was available for those aged 18 to 65 years and older, healthcare workers, for those aged 12 or older with a condition that puts them at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19 or were living in a long-term care facility, and for pregnant women at 16 weeks or later who had not already received a booster vaccine in their current pregnancy.
Booster 3: Booster 3 was available to people aged 65 years and older, for those aged 12 or older with a weak immune system and for those aged 12 to 64 with a condition that puts them at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19 - only if their second booster dose was not a bivalent vaccine. The Booster 3 vaccination programme began in October 2022.
The percentage ranges for Maps 2 and 3 are based on the whole population rather than as a function of the fully vaccinated population. Booster 1, 2, and 3 rates are shown separately.
The CSO has used Revenue PMOD data to provide insight on employment status of records of vaccinated people from the HSE Vaccine Information System. Using pseudonymised identifiers more than 2.8 million employees (90%) aged over 18 on 01 January 2023 who had a record of employment in the PMOD system in 2022 were linked to a record of vaccination. These records, from the HSE Vaccination Information System, covered primary course completed, Booster 1, Booster 2 or Booster 3. Additional demographic information was derived by linking to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) Central Records System (CRS).
Further definitions for this release:
Figure 1 shows the percentage of people who received any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the last three months, in the last three to 12 months, and in the previous 12 months or more by age group on 31 March 2023.
Almost eight in ten (79%) people aged 20-29 years, who had a COVID-19 vaccine, had not received a further dose in the last 12 months.
Around 6% of people aged 70-79 years, who had a COVID-19 vaccine, had their most recent dose in the last three months, compared with 4% of people in the 20-29 years age group. Seven in ten (72%) people aged 80 years and over, who had a COVID-19 vaccine, had their most recent dose in the last three to 12 months.
| 12 months or over | 3 to 12 months ago | In the last 3 months | |
| 5 to 11 years | 14 | 85 | 1 |
| 12 to 19 years | 69 | 29 | 2 |
| 20 to 29 years | 79 | 17 | 4 |
| 30 to 39 years | 76 | 18 | 6 |
| 40 to 49 years | 75 | 17 | 8 |
| 50 to 59 years | 55 | 40 | 5 |
| 60 to 69 years | 34 | 60 | 6 |
| 70 to 79 years | 18 | 76 | 6 |
| 80 years and over | 22 | 72 | 6 |
Map 1 presents the Primary Course Completed rates (for those aged 5 to 11 years) by LEA on 31 March 2023. The Primary Course Completed rate in 5- to 11-year-olds ranges from a low of 4% in Buncrana in Donegal to a high of 56% in Stillorgan, Dublin, which had not significantly changed from February 2023.
LEAs with lighter colours correspond with lower vaccine rates while the darker areas correspond with higher vaccine rates. Users can hover their mouse over the map to see the name of the LEA and the associated rate. Users can also zoom in on the map to see some of the LEAs that are smaller in geographical area.
Map 2 shows Booster 2 rates by LEA on 31 March 2023. Booster 2 rates in those aged 12 years and over ranges from a low of 10% in Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart to a high of 41% in Rathfarnham-Templeogue, which had not significantly changed from February 2023.
Map 3 shows Booster 3 rates by LEA on 31 March 2023. Booster 3 rates ranged from a low of 2% in Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart to a high of 16% in Rathfarnham-Templeogue.
Figure 2 shows the economic sector of employees aged 18 and over by COVID-19 vaccination status on 31 March 2023. Note that if an employee has received a booster, then they will not be in the category ‘primary course completed (no boosters)’.
Just 16% of employees across all sectors had not completed their primary course of vaccinations. The Accommodation & Food Services (I) sector had the highest percentage of employees who had not completed their primary course at 28%.
Nearly all employees (98%) in the Human Health & Social Work (Q) sector had received a booster, 69% had received Booster 1, and 29% had received further boosters. In the Education (P) sector, 97% of employees had received a booster, 68% had received Booster 1, and 29% had additional boosters. In the Accommodation & Food Services (I) sector, just 52% of employees had received a booster, 44% had received Booster 1, and 8% had further boosters (see Background Notes for NACE Rev.2 sector classifications).
| Booster 3 | Booster 2 (No further boosters) | Booster 1 (No further boosters) | Primary Course Completed (No boosters) | Primary Course Not Completed | |
| All sectors | 2 | 18 | 59 | 5 | 16 |
| O | 3 | 28 | 67 | 1 | 1 |
| Q | 2 | 27 | 69 | 1 | 1 |
| P | 3 | 26 | 68 | 1 | 2 |
| K, L | 4 | 27 | 64 | 1 | 4 |
| M | 2 | 20 | 68 | 3 | 7 |
| J | 1 | 19 | 66 | 5 | 9 |
| R-U | 2 | 16 | 58 | 13 | 11 |
| H | 3 | 19 | 60 | 4 | 14 |
| G | 1 | 14 | 59 | 9 | 17 |
| B-E | 1 | 15 | 59 | 7 | 18 |
| A | 2 | 14 | 55 | 8 | 21 |
| F | 1 | 9 | 48 | 18 | 24 |
| N | 1 | 12 | 49 | 12 | 26 |
| I | 1 | 7 | 44 | 20 | 28 |
Figure 3 shows the vaccination status of employees aged 18 years and over by Nationality on 31 March 2023.
Just under half (47%) of employees from the 13 countries who joined the EU since 2004 (EU15-27) had completed their primary course of vaccines, compared with 98% of Irish employees. Nearly all (96%) Irish employees had received a booster, 72% had received Booster 1, with 24% receiving further boosters. Around 88% of UK employees had received a booster, 63% had received Booster 1, and 25% had further boosters. More than two in ten (23%) EU15-27 employees had received a booster.
| Booster 3 | Booster 2 (No further boosters) | Booster 1 (No further boosters) | Primary Course Completed (No boosters) | Primary Course Not Completed | |
| Irish | 2 | 22 | 72 | 2 | 2 |
| UK | 2 | 23 | 63 | 2 | 10 |
| Rest of World | 0 | 10 | 47 | 14 | 29 |
| EU13 | 0 | 10 | 44 | 17 | 29 |
| EU15-27 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 24 | 53 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (02 May 2023) released COVID-19 Vaccination Statistics Series 11.
Commenting on the release, Steven Conroy, Statistician, said: "The data in this release is based on COVID-19 Vaccinations and Booster 1, 2, and 3 programmes that were given up to 31 March 2023. Note that only certain groups of people were offered Booster 2 and 3 (See Editor's Note below for further information). Overall, there has been a general lack of change in uptake rates of COVID-19 boosters from the previous month.
Time since last COVID-19 Vaccine
This release shows that the length of time since people last received a COVID-19 vaccine dose varies across age groups. Almost eight in ten (79%) people aged 20-29 years, who had a COVID-19 vaccine, had not received a further dose in the last 12 months.
Around 6% of people aged 70-79 years, who had a COVID-19 vaccine, had their most recent dose in the last three months, compared with 4% of people in the 20-29 years age group. Seven in ten (72%) people aged 80 years and over, who had a COVID-19 vaccine, had their most recent dose in the last three to 12 months.
COVID-19 Vaccine/Booster Rates
The Primary Course Completed rate for children aged 5 to 11 ranged from a low of 4% in Buncrana, Donegal to a high of 56% in Stillorgan, Dublin, which had not significantly changed from February 2023.
For eligible populations across applicable age groups, the rates for Booster 2 ranged from 10% in Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart to 41% in Rathfarnham-Templeogue. The Local Electoral Areas (LEAs) with the lowest Booster 2 rates were: Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart, Tallaght South, and Buncrana. The LEAs with the lowest Booster 3 rates in March 2023 were all in Dublin: Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart, Ongar, North Inner-City Dublin, and Tallaght South. This may partly be due to the population structure of these LEAs as they tend to have a younger population than other LEAs.
Breakdown by Sector
The report also includes analysis using data from the Revenue PAYE Modernisation system (PMOD) to provide insight on employment status of records of vaccination from the HSE Vaccine Information System. By 31 March 2023, a primary course of vaccinations was completed by 84% of all employees, while 59% had received Booster 1 and 20% had received further boosters. Nearly all employees (97%) in the Education sector had received a booster, 67% had received Booster 1, and 29% had received further boosters. In the Accommodation & Food Services sector, just 52% of employees had received a booster, 44% had received Booster 1, and 8% had further boosters.
Breakdown by Nationality
An analysis by nationality shows that just under half (47%) of employees from the 13 countries who joined the EU since 2004 (EU15-27) had completed their primary course of vaccines, compared with 98% of Irish employees. Nearly all (96%) Irish employees had received a booster by 31 March 2023, where 72% had received Booster 1 with 24% receiving further boosters. Around 88% of UK employees had received a booster, 63% had received Booster 1, and 25% had further boosters. More than two in ten (23%) EU15-27 employees had received a booster."