86,000 AstraZeneca vaccines issued for delivery by the HSE

Some 86,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been issued to 50 locations in Ireland. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

More than 86,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been issued to over 50 locations in Ireland to date.

That data is accurate as of the close of business on Thursday, February 25.

A spokesperson for the HSE said that 86,400 doses had been received by close of business on Thursday.

Of those, 86,200 had been issued to 53 separate delivery locations, some 99% of the total number received by the HSE to date.

"The AstraZeneca vaccine is extremely important in our response to Covid-19 and will provide protection to staff from Covid-19 disease and allow us to continue to provide vital healthcare services to the population," the spokesperson said.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has been the subject of scrutiny across Europe, with several states declining to certify it for use among over-65s, and Switzerland banning its use entirely.

In Ireland, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in all age groups, including over 70s, but said the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines should be used where "practicable and timely". 

The AstraZeneca vaccine is being used for healthcare workers, the HSE has confirmed.

An earlier version of this story stated that 36.2% of the AstraZeneca supplies in the country had been used. That was incorrect. The earlier version of the article was based on data from the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC), which had not been updated to reflect doses used in recent days.