One in 20 people in Ireland have received their first Covid vaccine dose, HSE Chief says

Fri, 12 Feb, 2021 - 17:34

Steven Heaney

HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry has defended the speed of Ireland’s vaccine rollout to date.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio this afternoon, Dr Henry said that the HSE has been liaising with GPs around the country to ensure that vaccines are being “dished out as soon as we get it in.”

Dr Henry said that every five in 100 people (or every one in 20) in the country have now received their first vaccine dose.

He said that almost one in 50 (1.7 in 100) have received both doses.

Community vaccinations for those over the age of 85 are set to begin from next week.

GPs at 84 practices in 20 counties will start administering vaccines from Monday.

The HSE has said it is aiming to have vaccinated everyone over the age of 85 within three weeks, and everyone over the age of 70 by mid-May.

Chief Clinical Officer, Dr Colm Henry said this afternoon that 1.7 in 100 people have received their second dose. Picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

Meanwhile, over 248,000 Covid-19 vaccines had been administered in Ireland up to Tuesday, February 9, according to the latest figures from the HSE.

A total of 158,904 people received their first dose, while 89,380 people received their second dose.

Despite the arrival of over 21,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine here last weekend, just 476 doses of that vaccine have been delivered so far.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has previously been described as a “game-changer” in the fight against Covid-19, given that it does not need to be stored in sub-zero temperatures, like other vaccines.

However, due to a lack of data relating to the vaccine's effectiveness in older individuals, the Government has said that those in the vulnerable over-70s group will be given the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines rather than the AstraZeneca one.

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