Q&A: What is the latest on Covid-19 vaccination programme?

About 1.9% of the population have already received vaccination with September 2021 the target for final completion

A nurse prepares a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19. Ireland is set to receive 3.3m doses of this vaccine when it is approved. File picture.

When will I get the vaccine?

About 1.9% of the population, including nursing home residents and frontline healthcare workers, have received their first dose of the vaccine, according to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. The deadline for giving all people in nursing homes their first shot is next Sunday.

The next priority groups are people aged 70 and older, who should all have their first shot before the end of March, then other healthcare workers and people aged 65-69, especially those with certain medical conditions.

The provisional target for final completion is September 2021. Ireland’s main order is for the AstraZeneca vaccine which should be approved on January 29 and shipping will then begin.

How much will the vaccine cost me?

The vaccine is free regardless of age or income.

A deal approved by Cabinet guarantees payment to GPs and pharmacists for giving the vaccine. They will get €50 per two-dose vaccine and a €10 administration fee. This will decrease to €25 plus €10 fee for single-dose vaccines.

Where will I get the vaccine?

Most people will receive their vaccine shots from their local GP or pharmacist.

GPs will invite patients over 70 to appointments — they do not need to book.

Other age groups will use an online portal, which is not yet live for public use. HSE public messaging will alert people to this.

What vaccines are available?

Ireland has accepted five vaccines through the EU and could accept a sixth when trials are complete. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are already being delivered, using two doses.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is also two shots but crucially can be more easily stored and transported.

A German vaccine, CureVac, has not yet been approved, and trials are close to an end for the single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.

Which vaccine should I get?

These vaccines have all been approved and are considered effective so the system will not require individuals to choose one over the other.

Martina Scallan, a virologist and professor at University College Cork, explains: “The AstraZeneca trials averaged out at about 70% efficacy, which is very good on the normal spectrum. Our seasonal flu vaccines would be about 70% or a bit less; that is certainly an acceptable level of protection.” 

Vaccine teams will not mix the different vaccines for people receiving two shots.

Prof Scallan said: “It’s wonderful this technology is here. The emphasis is on protection and protecting populations, not on a competition between the vaccines. We need all of the vaccines which are shown to be safe to be rolled out.” 

Can we go any faster?

Health authorities say rollout is dependant only on supply through the EU deal.

Health workers here and elsewhere realised they could get up to seven doses from vials of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine instead of the predicted five which has increased the number of jabs possible.

Ireland has been allocated 3.3m doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, so when this is available, it will significantly boost current supplies. So far, we have 133,185 doses of the allocated 2.2m from Pfizer to deliver, according to the HSE.

About 4,000 people are now trained to deliver the vaccine, including members of the Defence Forces.