IRELAND’S VACCINE ROLLOUT has hit a new milestone, with more than one million doses of Covid-19 vaccines administered.

The announcement was made today by the HSE. 

Tweeting about the milestone, HSE CEO Paul Reid said that this week Ireland administered “98% of vaccines received within the same week”.

He added that the ‘future is brighter’.

As of 5 April, a total of 667,182 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, representing 14.01% of Ireland’s total population. 5.5% have received both doses and are fully vaccinated.

The focus of the vaccine rollout is currently on people aged over 70 and those between 16 and 69 with a medical condition that puts them at very high risk of severe disease from Covid-19.

The government recently announced that the vaccine strategy would be changed to an age-based system once those deemed most at risk from Covid-19 have been vaccinated.

The original cohort of 15 groups for vaccination has been revised to nine, with those aged 64 and under set to be given doses last (descending from oldest to youngest). 

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The decision means that key workers in frontline jobs and the education sector who cannot avoid a high risk of exposure to the virus will lose vaccine prioritisation.

Earlier this month, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly signed the authorisation for use of Janssen’s Covid-19 vaccine – developed by Johnson & Johnson – in Ireland.

The first deliveries of the vaccine – a one-dose shot that does not require cold storage like those from Pfizer and Moderna – are expected in the next few weeks.