All second dose AstraZeneca vaccinations to be completed by end of next week, HSE says
Doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. File Picture: PA
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has said that all outstanding second dose AstraZeneca vaccinations will be completed by the end of next week.
The HSE said there are currently 126,000 people awaiting an appointment for their second jab.
The majority of those who are due their second vaccine appointment are in the 60 - 69 age group.
Meanwhile, the online registration portal for the Covid-19 vaccine has opened to those aged 34 from today.
Yesterday, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed the opening of the portal was being brought forward by two days.
It had originally been due to open for this cohort on Friday.
Those aged 33 can register for an mRNA Moderna of Pfizer jab portal from tomorrow, those aged 32 can register from Friday, 31-year-olds can register from Saturday, and 30-year-olds can register on Sunday.
Mr Donnelly said appointments would follow within a matter of days, with first vaccinations likely to take place early next week.
Since Monday, people aged 18 to 34 have also been able to ‘opt in’ to receive a Janssen vaccine in their local pharmacy.
Both vaccination streams have been accelerated in a bid to increase protection and combat the spread of the highly transmissible Delta Covid-19 variant, which is now estimated to account for 70 percent of new cases here.
According to the HSE, there are between 750,000 and 800,000 unvaccinated individuals in the 18 to 34 cohort.
This morning, HSE CEO Paul Reid confirmed that over half the adult population (51.5 percent) of the country - almost 2.5m people - was now fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
69 percent of the adult population have received their first dose.
This week, more than 100,000 jabs have been administered so far, and by the end of today, Mr Reid said almost 4.5m doses will have been administered in Ireland.
Correction, apologies, almost 4.5M vaccines in total by today Too early for all of those figures!
— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) July 7, 2021
Mr Reid also said that the number of Covid-19 tests carried out on Monday was at its highest since January.
Meanwhile, a further 397 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed by officials at the Department of Health last night.
As of 8am yesterday morning, there were 54 people hospitalised with the virus - 16 of whom were in intensive care units.
Speaking last night, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the slight rise in hospitalisations recorded in recent says was small but "concerning."
"This is a cause for concern and we will be monitoring it closely in the days and weeks ahead,” he said.
Dr Holohan urged people to register for their Covid-19 vaccination as soon as possible, as full vaccination was needed for protection against the Delta variant.
"To protect yourselves and your loved ones, it is extremely important to take up the opportunity of being vaccinated and come forward for your second dose as soon as it is offered to you," he said.
"The second vaccination is very effective at preventing both disease and hospitalisation."
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