HSE: Vaccine delays will happen at some centres

Some have complained of a two-hour wait on top of appointments times at the Citywest vaccination centre in Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless

The HSE has apologised to any elderly person forced to wait at a vaccination centre, but admitted that delays will happen.

A small number of people who had attended the Citywest vaccination centre in Dublin, which on Tuesday began vaccinating 69-year-olds, had complained that they had been forced to wait over two hours after their appointment times on top of the mandatory waiting times after the vaccines had been administered.

Others had complained at other sites that seating or access to toilets were inadequate.

A statement from the HSE said that the Citywest facility has capacity based on bookings made, but that at busy times, people will have to wait as the process is refined.

"Citywest Vaccination Centre began vaccinating people registered aged 65-69 Tuesday, April 20. More than 2,000 vaccinations were administered by the end of the day."

It said 20 vaccination bays are currently open.

"This is in line with the national operating model which determines centre capacity depending on the numbers scheduled for appointment against available vaccine and available resources. 

From time to time, people will have to queue for vaccination and the infrastructure is in place at the vaccination centre to facilitate that.

"We apologise to those who had to wait and ask people for their continued cooperation as we continue to refine and streamline the process."

Fine Gael councillor on Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Jim Gildea said that the wait times were "too long for older people".

He said that one constituent had told him of a two-hour wait at Citywest earlier this week. Many people did not live close to the centre, which meant between three and four hours overall.

"In some cases, people are being sent from Shankill to The Helix, which is 85 to 90 minutes on a bus each way," he said.