"Ireland now has three safe and effective vaccines."
The AstraZeneca Covid vaccine has officially been authorised for use in Ireland, effective immediately.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly signed the authorisation on Thursday morning.
The first delivery of the vaccine is due next week, with Donnelly saying that "Ireland now has three safe and effective vaccines."
https://twitter.com/DonnellyStephen/status/1357304030297473027?s=20
Ireland has ordered over a million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, of which 35,000 doses will be delivered to the country next week.
Three instalments of the vaccine are due to be delivered in quarter one of 2021.
Earlier this week, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC)
recommended that all currently authorised Covid-19 vaccines can be used in adults of all ages, including those aged 70 years and older.
However, the NIAC has also recommended that mRNA vaccines - Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna - should be used for the over 70’s where practicable and timely.
A number of other European countries have announced similar plans which will see over 70s receive the mRNA vaccines where possible.
It is now believed that the AstraZeneca vaccine will be reserved for younger people, among whom it has proven to be effective.
HSE Chief Paul Reid announced today that he hopes that daily vaccination figures will be published from Monday.
Stephen Donnelly had promised that they would be shared from 25 January onward.
