Following a frustrating fortnight where Ireland missed targets, there were delays in supply and confusion about deliveries, Ireland's vaccine programme is now heading for the 800,000 mark after our biggest day of doses so far last week.
In total, up to Friday, March 26, 786,569 doses had been given in total.
567,023 of these have been first doses with a further 219,546 second doses having been administered.
Last Thursday, 19,002 people received a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine - the highest total in one day so far.
That was followed up by another 17,845 on Friday, meaning that Ireland has now administered at least one dose to 15% of the adult population.
And it was this positivity which caused HSE CEO Paul Reid to tweet that the plan was heading for 'a new phase'.
Over the weekend, we learned that the British government was willing to offer Ireland 'spare' vaccines for use.
While it's not clear whether that offer will come in the near future, here's all you need to know about who will be receiving their jab over the coming days.
Which groups are being vaccinated against Covid-19 this week?
The focus of the vaccine rollout is currently on people aged over 70.
Those between 16 and 69 with a medical condition that puts them at very high risk of severe disease from Covid-19 are also set to receive their jab this week.
According to the government’s updated vaccination plan, this group includes people with:
- Chronic severe respiratory disease
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- All cancer patients actively receiving treatment and all patients with advanced cancers
- Chronic kidney disease, on dialysis
- Chronic neurological disease for example motor neurone disease
- Severe immunocompromise due to disease or treatment
- An intellectual disability such as Down Syndrome
Frontline healthcare workers who have yet their receive their jab are also in line to receive their vaccine this week.
How are these people going to find out when/if they're going to be vaccinated?
Your GP will contact you when your vaccine is available and you do not need to register for your vaccine.
Vaccinations will be administered at a vaccination centre, GP surgery or community pharmacy.
This will be done by qualified and trained healthcare workers, including hospital doctors, community medical officers, nurses, GPs and pharmacists.
Which vaccine will I receive?
We have vaccines by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZenca being administered here, with deliveries of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine expected to start in the next few weeks.
However, people will not get the choice of receiving one type of Covid-19 vaccine over another, the HSE chief has confirmed.
The majority of doses so far (as of March 26) have been of the Pfizer/BioNTech dose - with 594,655 of those jabs given according to the latest HSE data.
The AstraZeneca vaccine rollout was briefly halted in Ireland after cases of blood clotting were found in Norway after people had been dosed - but an investigation proved its safety, with the rollout resuming at the beginning of last week.
But they have now said a shipment of a ‘large volume’ of vaccines to Ireland in the coming weeks.
The pharmaceutical company has promised a shipment of 100,000 vaccines to Ireland this week, as it says it is “overcoming manufacturing problems.”
Ireland is set to receive approximately 827,000 before the end of the first quarter of the year, as part of the purchase agreement between the company and Ireland.
