GPs say 'easier' to use AstraZeneca vaccine for the over-70s in remote areas

A dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is prepared.

Two GPs in the west of Ireland have said that it would be much easier to use the AstraZeneca vaccine for the over-70s in remote areas.

Dr Peter Sloane, who has a practice in Carraroe, Co Galway told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show that he had a number of housebound patients for whom it would be “a major undertaking” to get to a vaccination centre.

“It would make sense to give AstraZeneca to the housebound,” he said. 

“For those people, any vaccine would be better than none.” 

On the same programme, Inish Mór GP Dr Marian Broderick pointed out that it would be a great hardship for her patients over the age of 70 to get from the island to Galway to a vaccination hub.

“It would be a dreadful ordeal, it wouldn’t make any sense.” 

Dr Sloane added that there were logistical issues that would have to be clarified about GP hubs

It made practical sense for the vaccine to be brought to the island and for everyone to be vaccinated together, she said.

“We expect the HSE to meet the challenge to get the vaccine out to the island for patients.” Dr Broderick said she had 100 patients over 70 of whom 19 were aged over 85.

“We’re determined the vaccine should come to them," she said.

“Walking around in Galway for the day would not be practical for them, everything is closed.”

 For smaller islands it made more sense to vaccinate the entire population at the same time, she said. But the priority should be the older cohort.

Dr Broderick said she would also have to have a locum in place to “do the real work” for the day.

“We have to protect the vaccine programme against potential wastage.

“It would be much easier to use AstraZeneca (on the island), but we will deal with what we’re given.” 

GP Dr Marian Broderick pointed out that it would be a great hardship for her patients over the age of 70 to get from the island to Galway to a vaccination hub.

Dr Sloane added that there were logistical issues that would have to be clarified about GP hubs – who was going to be responsible for them? Who would have the indemnity? Do GPs go there together or take it in turns? Who would schedule or organise the appointments?

But he was ready to do what was necessary for his patients to ensure they were vaccinated as safely as possible, he said. It did not matter if he was inconvenienced.

“I will work with the HSE as my patients are what is most important. We want to get the vaccine to our patients as quickly as possible.

“We need to give people hope. There is a massive psychological boost for people being vaccinated.” 

If possible Dr Sloane would like the opportunity to bring the AstraZeneca vaccine to housebound patients. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines presented a practical problem.

HSE 'intent' on using GP network to vaccinate over-70s

The HSE’s chief clinical officer, Dr Colm Henry, has said that the HSE was intent on using the GP network to roll out the vaccine to the over-70s.

GPs had a “reach” into every home in the country, through “every highway and byway, he told  Newstalk Breakfast.

While it would not be possible to put a freezer (for the vaccine) into every general practice, there was an overlap and the HSE was looking at establishing GP hubs, he explained.

There was a “tricky endpoint” about people living in remote areas who would find it difficult to get to a hub to receive the vaccine.

 “We want to roll out the vaccine to everybody from Inishowen to Wexford," Dr Henry said.

The HSE was considering options for transporting such patients safely to receive their vaccine, he said: “We’ll get there.” 

The AstraZeneca vaccine would now be diverted to the younger groups among health care workers, he said, but the HSE would adhere as closely as possible to the sequence in the vaccination priority document.