The National Immunisation Advisory Committee will meet later to consider booster jabs for healthcare workers.
It comes as 3,500 health staff are out of work due to covid related illnesses, a figure that has almost doubled in the past 10 days.
The HSE says the issue's putting pressure on the health service and creating staffing issues.
508 Covid patients are also in hospital and 93 are in ICUs.
DCU Professor of Health Systems, Anthony Staines, says booster shots for health workers are needed.
He says many nurses, doctors and carers are falling ill for the second time.
