Ireland’s vaccine rollout is continuing “at great pace”.
Ireland now has a higher percentage of its adult population fully vaccinated against Covid-19 than the UK.
On Tuesday, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said Ireland was set to overtake the UK in the “next week or so” in regards to fully vaccinating its adult population.
Circa 66.9% of ppl 16+ now fully vaccinated in Ireland or roughly 68.9% over 18+. That compares with 70.5% in the UK. We should overtake them in next week or so. Well done @hselive ? https://t.co/4SXyBDJJwO
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) July 27, 2021
On Saturday afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed Ireland had “edged ahead of our nearest neighbours”.
According to the Taoiseach, Ireland has vaccinated 72.4% of its adult population, compared to the UK’s 72.1%.
The vaccine rollout is continuing at great pace.
Today we edged ahead of our nearest neighbours – a brilliant effort by everyone involved.➡️Ireland: 72.4% of adults fully vaccinated
➡️UK: 72.1% of adults fully vaccinated— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) July 31, 2021
Notable when comparing figures is that the intervals between the administering of two-shot vaccines are different across the jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, the UK has not administered any of the one-shot Janssen vaccine to its population yet, whereas in Ireland it has been offered to those aged 18-34 through pharmacies.
The UK’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout commenced nearly three weeks before Ireland in early December.
Earlier in the week, the Irish Government approved advice that will see the country’s Covid-19 vaccine programme extended to include 12-15 year-olds.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
