PEOPLE IN THE 18-to-24 year old age group may be able to register for a vaccine now, despite the official registration for that group not opening until Monday.

In a statement to The Journal, the HSE said: “The software change to enable people aged 18-24 to register has been made over the weekend so it is possible that some people in this age group may have already registered in advance of the formal launch for this age group.”

“The formal launch for the 18-24 age group takes place on Monday and will give people the option to opt in for an AstraZeneca vaccine if they wish. Opting in means you will be offered the AstraZeneca vaccine if a Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is not available.”

People registering for their vaccine on the HSE website will need their PPS number, their Eircode, a mobile phone number and an email address.

People who don’t have all of these, or who would prefer not to register online, can call HSELive on 1850 241 850 for assistance with the registration process.

Those registering through the portal will receive a Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine.

People aged 18-34 are also currently able to register with a pharmacy to receive the one-dose Janssen vaccine, subject to supply.

The HSE is also planning to roll-out an opt-in system to allow those aged 18-34 to register on its vaccine portal to receive an AstraZeneca or Janssen vaccine in a vaccination centre.

Public health officials today confirmed a further 1,377 cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

The Department of Health reported that 78 people with the illness were in hospital yesterday, including 22 in intensive care.

In a video posted on the Department of Health’s Twitter page, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn said: “Unfortunately our incidence has now risen to over 180 per 100,000 cases and we’re reporting a five-day average of cases of over 800 cases per day, and that’s the highest it’s been since the beginning of February.”

There is a particularly high incidence rate among people aged 16 to 30, Glynn said.