Army medics are being prepped to join the national jabs emergency team.
The vaccine taskforce is ramping up its plans for mass vaccinations after the first wave of doses are administered to those most in need.
And Dublin Live understands that negotiations are well underway with the Defence Forces to play a more active role.
Negotiations are at an “advanced” stage for existing testing centres, such as Croke Park, Punchestown racecourse and the Aviva Stadium to become mass vaccination centres.
Sites like these “will have to play a role” according to a senior health source, with full announcements expected shortly.
Dublin Live understands the planning for the mass rollout of all these vaccines is now at an advanced stage.
The army is currently having its medics trained-in to become part of the healthcare team that delivers the jabs.
They are already on standby for any logistical emergencies that arise, but negotiations have taken place between the HSE and the Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Mark Mellett, for the army to play a more active role.
It comes on top of the exciting news this morning that Ireland is set to receive a new allocation of an extra 3.3million of the Pfizer/BioNTech miracle jabs.
EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen announced that the European bloc has agreed to a deal with Pfizer for an extra 300million doses of their life-saving vaccine.
Ireland is entitled to 1.1% of this batch, which means we will get an unexpected extra 3.3million doses.
