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THE HEALTH SERVICE Executive (HSE) has said that 12,000 people over the age of 85 will be given the Covid-19 vaccine next week.
The over 70 age group – starting with those over 85 – will start to be vaccinated from Monday, alongside 25,000 frontline healthcare workers and 42,500 people in long-term residential care facilities over the age of 65s.
The rollout to this cohort will begin from Monday. Another 42,000 people are expected to be vaccinated in each of the following two weeks, with some of these doses set to be given to those aged 80-84.
HSE CEO Paul Reid today said the aim is to complete all first doses for those aged over 85 in the next three weeks.
Next week an initial 84 GP practices – many with several individual doctors – will be involved in the rollout to those aged over 85. The majority of GPs will administer the vaccines in their own practices.
For practices that have fewer than 200 patients who are over the age of 70, vaccines will be administered in a larger hub, such as the Helix in Dublin or Cork Institute of Technology. In some cases GPs will ‘buddy up’ in one practice or in another community location.
The HSE also said 243,353 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Ireland up to Monday. A total of 88,453 people have received both doses and are now fully vaccinated.
A total of 154,900 people have received their first dose and 88,453 people have received their second dose.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly told the Dáil this afternoon that the over-70s cohort will be completed, with people receiving their second dose, by “mid-May”.
This is a number of weeks behind what was originally scheduled but is in line with the timeline provided by HEO CEO Paul Reid at the weekend.
The delay is due to the effect of the reallocation of vaccines, with over-70s now being prioritised to receive mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer.
“As always, these things are dependent on the supplies arriving in, but if we get the supplies that are forecast it would be around mid May where second dose is complete,” he said.
Donnelly added that this timeline could potentially could be brought forward if there is a change and over-70s receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.
“My view is we have to keep all of that under review and if we find out that the effectiveness changes or is updated based on more and more information, I think we absolutely have to update the delivery plan accordingly,” he said.
Asked about a previous comment that all adults could be vaccinated by September, the Health Minister said this was “highly provisional” but “would still be possible” dependent on supply.
Contains reporting by Rónán Duffy and Stephen McDermott.
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An absolute disgraceful response to the roll out
@Marc Walsh: Yeah it is a bit of a disgrace some people’s response to the vaccine rollout. Some seem to think we should be able to vaccinate more than we have vaccines available.
@NotMyIreland: bot
@Marc Walsh: As of Feb 7th, 9th highest in the world for vaccinating per 100 people
@NotMyIreland: how have the UK vaccinated more people than any country in Europe combined
@Ross: they are giving everyone one shot and extending the gap between shots, which did not adhere to the science, but it now appears to be the way to go. it was a gamble that paid off, but if it hadn’t they would look very stupid for going against the science.
@Declan: Opinion I disagree with = bot. Classic response of someone who hasn’t a clue.
@Cosmos20202020: That has to be proven this time gap that UK has taken. When the persons who invented the Pfizer vaccine said 3 weeks between first to second, Who say’s up to 12 weeks that UK has taken is fine. So one of them will be right but hopefully it won’t be a deadly one.
@Ross: They also rushed through their vaccine approval process which the EU didn’t. That decision is up for debate of course. This constant criticism of the rollout is misplaced, the single biggest issue is supply and that is a global issue. Could it be done better, in hindsight of course but this was always going to happen and anyone who thinks otherwise is just a bit naive. The other issue is that people sitting at home with not much else to do love to have a moan.
@Marc Walsh: what planet are ye on lad?
@Marc Walsh: Interesting to see such comments on any vaccine story.
People, for whatever reason, want to believe we are doing terribly. But can supply no basis for this assertion, because there is none.
I wonder do these folks believe the nonsense and just ignore all the data from other European countries?
Or are they malicious and hoping to convince people who know no better?
Thankfully we have a lot of educated people here who can quickly point out when posts like this spout nonsense but unfortunately there will be those who (want?) to believe it.
@Fozz: They LOVE to spout their negativity even if it goes against all of the data. It kills their narrative to say otherwise. Everything about Ireland and its response to covid is terrible in their world. Just have to put up with their nonsense even though our rollout figures are amongst the best in the world.
@NotMyIreland: how many vaccines are available? This information has not been officially disclosed since the first week. Various quantities have been referenced by the minister and others with no consistency. How can any one judge the success without knowing the number of jabs administered relative to doses received?
The reality is that only 155k people have recieved one or 2 doses and 6 weeks into the process this is a pathetic number showing a lack of ambition and urgency on behalf of both the HSE and the EU commission.
@Cosmos20202020: WHO has stated that optimum time between shots for AZ vaccine is 8 to 12 weeks. Have the HSE adjusted their plans? This news should he’ll alleviate some of the supply problems as more can be used as a first shot by pushing out second shot. After all we’re following the science.
@Ross: eh…. Brexit ! Don’t have to abide by the the EU Schedule … which was badly planned.
@NotMyIreland: We would have vaccines if the ditherers in government had got their act together.
@Derdaly: |They give out the figures of vaccines received and vaccines used. After that it is simple maths.
That’s including nearly 90,000 second doses so not as impressive as it sounds (it doesn’t).
@Angela Jones: Exactly. Less than 2% of the population fully vaccinated. Hopefully they will pick up the pace as supply increases
@Angela Jones: absolute political semantics. Absolute disgrace of a roll out…
@Phil Byrne: What are you talking about ? What could be done differently or better that other countries are doing ? How would you manage this rollout ? I don’t need your full statement of work, just a few points on what you would do differently and why that would be better.
@Dec: yep but the majority of the immunity comes from dose 1 and in about a month a chunk of the people vaccinated will get dose two. They will be well past our percentages then
@Dec: not true they have very nearly vaccinated all people over 70 (target date 15th Feb) over 65’s to be done by mid March.(15m people of a population of c.65m is over 20%) In Ireland they are hoping to do over 70’s by the end of May. We are well behind due to the delays in decision making by the EU. In both ordering and approving vaccines. You can love the EU as much as you like but facts say they delayed costing people their lives.
@Hugh Fogerty: the UK fast tracked the approval of the vaccine, a risky strategy if it all went wrong, much like their initial response to the pandemic, half of their older population was vaccinated with the az vaccine which may not be as effective in older people. Or against the sa strain. if the EU didn’t cross all the ts and dot all the i’s they would be hung out to dry by the likes of you . Though we had one of the largest spikes we brought it under control and have never run out of capacity or had patients being treated in tents in car parks we havent done that bad. Im happy to wait my turn patiently and in t g e meantime continue with restrictions.
@Cathal Brophy: Some of the best figures in Europe and top ten in the world. We are doing well.
@Hugh Fogerty: The opposite was to rush and possibly cost more lives. With a new vaccine as well, you can hear the outrage over that. UK took a wild gamble loke they have the whole crisis and for the first time it worked.
Shocking service. Strange how other countries could arrange it. The Lockdown cannot be lifted whilst this is happening. This should have been organised long before the vaccine came out!
@Corinne Wilson Muller: Not really. Evidence is still coming out on how effective various vaccines are in various age groups.
@Corinne Wilson Muller: We’ve the third highest vaccination rate in the EU. Which countries are you on about exactly?
@Corinne Wilson Muller: They normally have years to roll out a vaccine instead they had months while also dealing with a pandemic.
Before everyone slates the government on the rollout, we are 9th in the world as of 8th of Feb with regards to vaccinations, according to OurWorldinData, we are making progress, these are the days and moments we all hopes for all those many months ago, it is happening now, there is mass vaccine centres, more vaccines are being approved.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: typical Irish attitude to be 9th at something so serious and be proud of it, answer this, why can’t we be number 1 at vaccine roll out?
@Marc Walsh: Because we didn’t pay a premium like Israel, for example
@Marc Walsh: 9th out of 10 would be bad sure. 9th out of somewhere near 195 countries. Yeah, that’s not bad. Perspective will help you through that pointless negativity.
@Marc Walsh: It more about perspective, people on here saying that our roll out is a shambles etc etc, we are doing quite well and supply would be an issue. Being 9th in the world is something to be proud of, I’m proud of what we are doing here.
@Marc Walsh: Absolutely ridiculous comment. You sound like Roy Keane in Saipan or something! Why can’t we be 1st !! There’s loads of reasons and it wouldn’t take you long to read up on them instead of spreading ridiculous and completely wrong and negative information. 9th out of 175 is extremely good, could it be better ? of course it could but it’s obvious you don’t know what you’re talking about. Ps I’m a Roy Keane fan and we should all aim to be as good as we can be etc but just made me laugh your rant being 1st !
@Thomas O’ Donnell: or have dugit medical data on every citizen since birth to trade in return for large quantities
Great stuff. Let’s keep going now lads and we’ll be shifting in coppers in no time
Think me whole likes been a bit of a dictator . Telling people where then can and can’t go or who they can and can’t see. I’m a firm believer that restrictions have to be in place but if this man travels to Washington for a bit of self gratification on paddy’s day. He should be shown the door.
@Fozz: whats positive about being locked down to 5km. Its immoral
@Tony Humphreys: How is that exactly.
This is what immoral means Immoral, referring to conduct, applies to one who acts contrary to or does not obey or conform to standards of morality; it may also mean licentious and perhaps dissipated. … Immoral, amoral, nonmoral, and unmoral are sometimes confused with one another. Immoral means not moral and connotes evil or licentious behaviour. It is none of these, it has upset you so its illegal , immoral and all the other incorrect names you have called it.
Throwing your toys out of the pram again
Incoming whinging experts that know better! Good grief.
5% – we’ve a way to go yet
@Ken Wills: Remember back to March/April of last year how scary it all was, the lockdowns, the high numbers of deaths day in day out, the cases everything was so dark and grim, we now have a vaccine a light at the end of the tunnel, it maybe 5% but gosh a year ago that didn’t seem a possibility. I’ll take the 5%
Most of the public have been doing everything they have been asked for the best part of a year but when it’s the government’s turn to step up to the plate they’ve been sorely lacking.
@John O: How exactly is that, they have a certain number of vaccines and they are using them as fast as they can without running out of them.
WE are in the top ten worldwide and higher again in Europe and the government are not doing it right.
How could the do it better? Raid another country for their supply!
My mother is 87. Just off the phone to her GP. Says he won’t have the vaccine for three more weeks !
This is a snails pace ! Infuriating!
Great..only a couple of million to go!!
Not good enough!! Why so slow???
@Lally Saputo: because you can’t vaccinate without vaccine.
@Lally Saputo: Simple maths, so many vaccinations, so many people, you vaccinate at the pace the amount of vaccine allows.
Sails pace, think again and look at the facts.
The roll out is way too slow the EU made a right bullocks out of it
Keep er lit
Who will get the AstraZeneca vaccines now that the over 70’s were due to get!!!
@Ron: probably the over 70′s
World health organisation decided it’s ok now
@Ron: the under 70′s?
I thought it was going to over 80′-85 next after 85+. When did they decide to move down to a much broader over 70′s?
@RogerRamjet: They didn’t. Read the article again. It clearly states that 80-85 are next.
@RogerRamjet: 80 -85 is over 70. Simple maths Im learning while home schooling my kids
We have such a small population less than the city of Birmingham yet its going to take us longer than cities much larger than us to fully vaccinate our people. Simply not good enough, maybe the HSE could outsource part of the vaccination operation. At this rate it will be well into 2023 before we finish.
@Kev O’Boyle: Outsource, outsource what. They are vaccinating at the speed they are to use the vaccines they have and are getting. Or would you want to use all the vaccine we have in one day and then wait until the next delivery.
Its not a simple operation logistically and they are doing very well Top ten in the world.
42,000 a week while scotland are hitting upwards of 45,000 a day. They are already going through people in their 60s
I had a image in my head that when a vaccine was found every country would work together and make as much vaccine as possible and vaccinate everyone.
@Joed: Well it’s not as if they can just build vacine manufacturing plants in every country at the drop of a hat.
@Joed: this is real life not the movies
Is that all.
I’m wondering why all the vaccine experts are here and not helping with the rollout. Or at least reading facts instead of spouting here as to why it’s so slow when they actually don’t know how the process works
Vaccinate Billy Burns!!
@Dave: Dave is Billy Burns, Monty Burns’ brother?
@Ally Mc Culladgh: I mean son!
Is that a boast or an apology?
The completion dates seem to always extended. I don’t know whether this is a ploy to dampen expectations but it does cause a person to lose heart. Mid April, mid May, will it be mid June then? Only a ‘few extra weeks’ seems to be the mantra. But how many extra weeks? Are they trying to eventually us that 2021 is a write off?
@John Kelly: Read the reports, we are getting the vaccines and there was a delay in that so the dates changed, we are using the stock we have as quickly as possible.
They are being open about it again and that does not seem to be the right thing to do either by the moaning and false claims made here
have your say