Covid-19: Mallow hospital 'left out' as staff told they won't get weekend vaccine as planned

Labour TD Seán Sherlock has demanded answers after staff were told this morning they are not being vaccinated yet.

Staff at Mallow Hospital had already done training ahead of this weekend, when they expected to receive the vaccine. File Picture: Dan Linehan

Staff in Mallow Hospital say they have been told they would not receive the Covid19 vaccine this weekend as planned.

Sources in Mallow Hospital told the Irish Examiner they were told on Tuesday that they would receive the vaccine on Friday, to be administered over the weekend, and had made appropriate arrangements.

They say they were told they were to receive 400-500 vaccines, which would have a short shelf-life. 

Due to the time limit on the vaccine, the hospital put out a call to other primary health providers and staff in north Cork who could come to the hospital and be vaccinated to ensure none went to waste.

No explanation given

Staff were then told on Friday morning that management had received a call telling them that this would not be the case and no explanation was given.

It's understood that all hospitals had been told to get ready for the vaccine and undertake pre-training and other procedures to ensure staff were prepared, however, this did not necessarily mean that they would receive the vaccine straight away.

HSE sources said that a number of hospitals were called in recent days to inform them that they would not be receiving the vaccine as soon as staff had anticipated.

"Left out"

One Mallow Hospital staff member rejected the idea that the staff had misunderstood: "Why would we put aside hours of our time, late into the night to coordinate lists of doctors to come for vaccinations if we weren't sure?

Why would we get a phonecall to say they weren't coming, if it was our mistake?

"Every other acute hospital in the southern reigion has photos of their staff getting vaccinated, Mallow Hospital has been left out."

Labour's Sean Sherlock says all frontline staff in hospitals should have equality of access.

"Mallow General Hospital delivers acute medicine just like every other hospital," he said.

"When other hospitals within the South-South West Hospital Group are receiving vaccines it's very odd for Mallow General Hospital to be left behind. I hope that the HSE will rectify this. I have contacted them to ask that there would be equality of access for all frontline staff within every Hospital Group"

At present given capacity issues, the HSE plans to deliver only 40,000 shots of vaccine per week through January and February.

As each person need two shots this means the national roll-out would last well into 2022 at current levels.

HSE have only confirmed 15,314 doses given, including 890 staff in the Limerick University Hospital Group and 6,176 across the South/ South West Hospital Group.

A spokesperson for the hospital region said: “The South/ South West Hospital Group can confirm that Mallow General Hospital has made all the necessary preparations and has been prioritised for delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine within the S/SWHG as early as possible next week.”