Vaccinations drop sharply for three days of every week

TDs criticise roll-out as HSE reveals delivery of doses fell 18,000 short

THE HSE is administering, on average, 7,000 fewer vaccines per day on weekends and Mondays compared to the other days of the week, according to analysis of its own data for last month.

An Irish Independent analysis of daily vaccination numbers for February shows an average of 4,285 doses per day were administered on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, compared to an average of 11,633 doses per day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

HSE sources are privately attributing the sharp drop-off to GP clinics not operating at weekends and many hospital staff not working at weekends, in addition to supply constraints.

The data emerges as the national vaccination plan came under attack from Government TDs after it emerged key targets are being missed. Senior Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TDs criticised the roll-out at their parliamentary party meetings after the HSE revealed they were 18,157 doses short of the 100,000 it had committed to delivering last week.

IT HAS been likened toaWorldCup–but Ireland is not going to win any competition for the fastest roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccines. The country which manages to roll out the vaccines fastest will enjoy the trophy – in the form of less illness and easing lockdown. At the end of this week around 500,000 vaccines are due to have been administered since December. But the roll-out has not been smooth, mainly due to lack of supply and logistics.

There has also been major disappointment among a large number of people aged 85 and older, whose GPs have still not received their batch of vaccines. Yesterday 10 to 15 GPs either got no expected delivery or too few doses.

Missed target

The target last week was to administer 100,000 doses as part of a scaling up of the campaign. However, new figures show this was missed – and only 81,843 people received the jab.

The problem is with a lack of deliveries of the Oxford AstraZeneca jab which did not meet its schedule.

The task force overseeing vaccination said it was informed of the gap in deliveries at late notice . It is believed around 25,000 less doses of this vaccine will be delivered over last week and this week. The supplies are to be made up this month.

Over 85s

The over 85s are the first group in the community to receive the vaccine. Although for the most part it has run well, there have been people left disappointed after supplies did not arrive as scheduled to their GP.

Some got too little, others too much. Last week GPs got just 48 hours notice but in recent days it was even less.

Dr Denis McCauley of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said it is not right to leave this group of patients who are so enthusiastic for vaccination disappointed. He said there needs to be better HSE communication.

Around 1,500 of the 72,000 people aged 85 and older will wait until next week for their jab, although it should have been completed this week.

Bedbound patients are also waiting but they are told the HSE has a plan to bring the jab to them.

Managing uncertainty

The Government’s Covid19 plan has noted around 17 vaccine supply changes were reported to the end of February.

The latest hold up did not affect the over 85s who receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Up to last Sunday 67,229 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered. The difficulty shows how Ireland is at the mercy of supply – a problem that will persist.

Fully vaccinated

Up to last Sunday 141,883 people we re fully vaccinated with two doses.

These are residents and staff in long term care facilities and frontline healthcare workers. The benefits of vaccination are already coming through with figures signalling it contributing to fewer infections and also a fall in deaths among long term care residents.

Another 297,899 people had received a first dose.

There is increasing evidence that even one dose gives a level of protection. The fact that everyone must get two doses of the three vaccines here eats into supplies. The target for March is to administer 100,000 doses a week.

This should rise to 200,000 to 300,000 in April . It is hoped we will get around 1.2m doses a month in April, May and June. This includes the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine which is expected to be approved next week. Around 80pc will have had a first dose by the end of June.

Many people aged 85 and older have not yet received their vaccine

Getting complicated

The roll- out is set to get more complicated in the coming weeks. The next group be offered a vaccine are at high risk, due to underlying illnesses.

It is not yet clear if it will be left to their GP to identify them. The criteria to judge whether they meet the threshold for high risk is being worked on.