Covid-19: Vaccinations for nursing home residents, staff to start on December 30

Vaccinations for nursing home residents will start before New Year’s Eve, the head of the HSE confirmed today.

Vaccinations for nursing home residents will start before New Year’s Eve, the head of the HSE confirmed today.

Paul Reid said the first tranche of vaccinations should start on December 30 across nursing homes for residents and staff as part of a three-week programme. 

This will include hospital staff, with vaccinations taking place at key large hospital sites including Cork University Hospital.

Delivery is expected to come to about 40,000 doses overall in two batches during the first week.

He also reiterated HSE calls for the public to limit who they see this week.

“The immediate priority has to be about keeping safe and protecting the vulnerable in society, I think we can do that in a way that gives us a reasonable Christmas,” Mr Reid said.

He said high transmission in the community means an increased risk for healthcare workers and advised protecting them too to maintain staffing numbers.

In relation to the use of private hospitals, he said: “Discussions between the Department of Health, the private hospital groups and HSE are continuing. And as with the last time, if we needed to get that, I expect everybody would be supportive.” 

Private hospitals can only offer a total of 44 ICU beds but he said local agreements already in place mean HSE hospitals can access diagnostics and other services in private hospitals.

Public health teams have been in touch with Cabinet members following Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue catching the virus.

In relation to the updated advice for people who arrived from the UK at any time since December 8 to continue isolating even if they have a negative test result, HSE Chief Clinical Officer Colm Henry said: “This strain is much more transmissible. These measures are highly uncomfortable, they are difficult and painful at this time of year. But we have had to apply the precautionary principle here.”

Mr Henry added: “It could be here. The virus has more opportunities to spread, it will take some time before we can prove definitely it is here. We might as well act as if it is here.” 

HSE chief operations Officer Anne O’ Connor said there continues to be no cases of flu in the system. 

However, they have noticed an uptick in hospital attendances and in the number of the over-75s requiring hospital beds.

There are currently 136 hospital staff with Covid-19 or isolating, including eight in Waterford University Hospital, she said. 

And nationally 400 beds are closed due to a mix of Covid-19 and other infections.