A SHOT IN THE ARMY
Military medics to help roll out Covid vaccine as cases keep soaring
THE Army is being called in to help roll out the Covid- 19 vaccine as new cases spiral.
Defence Forces doctors, nurses, paramedics and emergency staff are getting training to administer the jabs.
Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett said they were going to use “every available medical personnel within the organisation”.
He added: “We will put our resources avail able to the State and the HSE to ensure the vaccines roll out efficiently.”
The move comes as 8,248 further cases were reported, along with 20 deaths.
NEW battlelines in the fight against Covid- 19 were drawn last night as the Army was drafted in to help with the vaccine roll- out.
Defence Forces doctors, nurses, paramedics and emergency personnel are all receiving special training that is required to administer the jabs.
This is vital for the Pfizer/ Biontech drug, which must be stored at -70 C of which Ireland is to get another 3.3 million doses.
Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mel let ts aid :“We’ re going to surge every available medical personnel.”
The rollout will be coordinated by Lieutenant
Colonel Louis Flynn who brings huge international experience on major projects like this, having led UN teams on tours of duties abroad many times.
The Army stepping up its Covid activities will bean expansion of Operation Fortitude, which has seen 53,000 man- hours of logistics support provided in the battle against Covid so far.
Military intervention ramps up the vaccination programme after the first wave of doses are administered to those most in need. Vice Admiral Mellett told RTE’S News at
One: “We’ l l see our doctors, our nurses, our paramedics and our emergency medical technicians to support, our military first responders will be available too.
“To the best of our ability, we will put our resources available to the State and the HSE to ensure that the vaccines roll out efficiently.”
The Irish Mirror also understands negotiations are at an “advanced” stage for existing testing centres, such
as Croke Park, Punchestown racecourse and the Aviva Stadium to become re- tooled as mass vaccination centres. A health source said they “will have to play a role”.
This comes amid news Ireland is to receive an extra 3.3 million doses of the Pfi zer/ Biontech vaccine. EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen revealed the new Pfizer orders are coming.
She announced Brussels has agreed a deal with Pfizer/ Biontech for an extra 300 million doses, of which Irel and i s entitl ed t o
1.1%.
T h e I r i s h Mi r r o r understands the planning for the mass rollout of all these vaccines i s now at an advanced stage.
Meanwhile, healthcare staf f are getting up to seven doses instead of five out of vaccine vials.
This can happen in a number of ways, f or example when there is in excess of the exact measurement of five 0.3ml doses in a single vial.
This i s because there i s always
“overage” put into each vial to make sure you get at l east the proper number of doses out of a vial.
A vaccines expert explained to the Irish Mirror that depending on the space in the needles or in the syringe, there might be some “unavoidable” wastage.
I t h a s b e c o m e apparent that this extra o v e r a g e h a s b e e n getting six, and sometimes seven, doses of vaccine out of each vial.
The bonus jabs will mean the capacity for vaccinations could be increased by up to 40% in some cases.
How e v e r, e x p e r t s have warned there is “a fine line” between getting full doses and getting the most out of a vial.
We will put resources available to the
State and the HSE
VICE ADMIRAL MARK MELLET YESTERDAY