How jabs will be distributed
TODAY
The first doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine will be given in the Republic today across four hospitals: Beaumont and St James in Dublin, as well as Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway. There are currently 10,000 doses of the vaccine in the country, with another 30,000 due for delivery next week. According to the HSE’s chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry, the plan is to administer the vaccine to older persons in hospital before moving on to a vaccination programme in nursing homes starting Monday next week.
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Moderna’s vaccine is expected to get the all-clear from the European Medicines Agency on this date. In December, the Cabinet agreed to advance-purchase 875,000 doses of the vaccine which also requires two doses.
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An initial round of vaccines will be administered in nursing homes from next week but the HSE is planning to begin a three-week sweep of all nursing homes from Monday, January 11. This will include vaccinating all residents and staff in the 582 nursing homes across the country. When this three-week vaccination period is completed and all have received their initial first dose, the HSE will begin a second, three-week sweep of the nursing homes again to ensure everyone gets their second dose of the vaccine. All going according to plan, residents and staff of nursing homes should be entirely vaccinated by the middle of February.
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Speaking over the weekend, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine is also expected to be approved for use in the EU by the end of January. Ireland is entitled to 3.3million doses of this vaccine.
other countries that are rolling out the vaccine faster than we are, adding she thinks GPs would be more than willing to help vaccinate people in nursing homes on evenings and weekends.
GP Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail tweeted: ‘I’m happy to give Covid-19 vaccines in the evenings and on weekends... I’m pretty confident that there are many more [doctors] out there equally happy to do this.’
This distribution process was also criticised by Fr Paddy Byrne, of Abbeyleix and Ballyroan Parish, who, in a subsequently deleted tweet yesterday, said: ‘I find it unbelievable that the distribution process is 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. After all we have been through, we can be far more deliberate and generous with distribution.’
According to the HSE’s chief clinical officer, Dr Colm Henry, vaccinations are due to commence today in four hospitals before moving on to nursing home residents from early next week.
However, the HSE’s plan to mass vaccinate residents of nursing homes and staff is due to begin in full on January 11 which will include an initial three-week sweep of all 582 nursing homes for their first dose.
Nursing Homes Ireland chief Tadhg Daly told the Mail if there was a possibility of bringing the vaccinations in nursing homes forward, they would work with the HSE to facilitate it.