Memo to detail phases in which different sections of society will receive vaccine first

Nursing home residents will be first in line for Ireland's Covid-19 vaccines under a plan due before the Government today. File picture

Nursing home residents will be given the first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine when one becomes available.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will bring a memo to Cabinet this morning laying out the country's Covid vaccine allocation strategy, which includes details on what is being called the "sequencing" or the phases in which different sections of society receive doses of the vaccine.

Under the plan, those over the age of 65 who are residents in long-term care facilities will be first, with frontline healthcare workers who are in direct contact with patients second. 

That will be followed by those over 70, beginning with those aged over 85 and working down in bands of five years.

Much will depend on which vaccines are approved and become available. Ireland is signed up to receive batches of five different vaccines upon approval and production.

The Government is understood to be keenly aware of the need to communicate the rollout of the vaccine using public consultation and evidence-based examples to assuage any lingering fears.

Speaking early yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland will be "ready" to roll out vaccines before Christmas if European authorities fast-track the approval process.

He said: "If the European Medicines Board brings forward its date, that’s a matter for it and we will be ready for it in any event."

However, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the date they are still working towards for the sign-off on any vaccine is the end of this month.

"The vaccine plan is working towards ensuring that once we have authorisation for a vaccine or vaccines, and we hope that it will come quickly in respect of a number of vaccines, that would be a position to start to roll those out and give them to the public in a prioritised way," Dr Holohan said.