€91m deal would allow GPs and pharmacists to administer 1.5m Covid-19 vaccines
It is expected the soon-to-be-approved Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will feature heavily in the proposed plan as it doesn't need to be kept at very low temperatures.
Cabinet will today consider a multi-million euro deal that would see doctors and pharmacists administer Covid-19 vaccines.
It would see roughly 1.5 million people inoculated against the disease.
The Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will present the €91m deal to his Cabinet colleagues this morning.
If approved, it would see GPs and pharmacists get €60 for vaccinating a patient with two injections and €35 per single dose once the option is available.
The plan would begin in early February and run for six months.
It is expected the soon-to-be-approved Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will feature heavily as it doesn't need to be kept at very low temperatures.
The plan would begin with the over 85s and will then work down through the groups in order of priority.
Meanwhile, former tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald believes Ireland should have a dedicated minister for the rollout of the vaccine.
The Fine Gael MEP said it would be in everyone's interest.
"It makes sense to have the political leadership of another minister in Cabinet to support and augment current efforts.
"I'm not suggesting a new department or new ministry, I'm saying that you need the support and co-operation of another minister working on the logistical side of the vaccination rollout."
As of Sunday night, 94,000 vaccines had been administered.
71,000 to frontline healthcare workers and 23,000 to residents and staff of long-term residential facilities.
The Chief Medical Officer has called on hospital managers to uphold the "highest standards" in administering Covid-19 vaccines.
There has been criticism of two Dublin hospitals after it emerged a small number of staff family members were given leftover doses.
The Rotunda and the Coombe have both said it was to ensure none were wasted.
New guidance issued recently requires hospitals to have a standby list of 120 healthcare workers for any leftover doses.
Dr Tony Holohan says hospitals need to ensure the jabs are distributed to the highest priority groups.
"The guidance in respect of the use of the leftover doses is about reinforcing the need to ensure that those additional doses would also be targeted to people and arrangements be put in place to target the people who are in those highest priority groups.
"We would hope that all people in leadership positions would uphold those standards."
Abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue and dizziness are among the reported side effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) says up to last Monday, it has been notified of 81 mild to moderate suspected cases.
More than 77,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered.
Chief Executive of the HPRA, Dr Lorraine Nolan, says no serious allergic reactions have been reported.
"To date, the HPRA has not received any confirmed reports of anaphylaxis but we can anticipate that as our vaccination numbers continue to increase, we will receive reports of this nature.
"As always, when discussing potential side effects, we must remember the risk they present is significantly outweighed by the health risks posed by the virus itself."
Dr Nolan said the ongoing monitoring of Covid-19 vaccines worldwide has not identified any newly emerging safety concerns to date.
She said the safety profile remains positive.
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