HIQA says more and more people who are under 50-years-old and who've have covid-19 may now only need one jab from the vaccination roll-out as new evidence suggests immunity post covid lasts for nine months, and not the originally stated six months.
A report states the duration of immunity following infection should now be extendedpost-infection, and it has issued this advice to the National Public Health Emergency Team .
The report follows a review of international evidence, including 19 large studies of re-infection of over 640,000 previously infected people.
HIQA also says that the potential impact of new variants on natural immunity is evolving rapidly and needs to be kept under review, adding also that people who had Covid-19 in the last months should be exempt from serial testing.
Dr Máirín Ryan, deputy HIQA CEO and Director of Health Technology Assessment, said that most people develop immune memory for at least nine months which has "widespread positive implications" for people.
"It will be important that any policy changes and the evidence behind them are clearly communicated and consistently applied."
