"They are our road out of this pandemic."
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Tony Holohan has urged people who have yet to be vaccinated to do so as soon as they can.
He said on Wednesday, that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency was encouraging people to complete the recommended vaccine schedule "as soon as they can".
"Today, the ECDCEU and EMA have strongly encouraged those who are eligible for vaccination but have not yet been vaccinated to start and complete the recommended Covid-19 vaccination schedule as soon as they can," he said.
"Full vaccination is the best protection for you and your community from Covid-19, including from variants such as Delta, which is dominant in Ireland."
Dr Holohan added that it is "important to remember" that infections of the virus in vaccinated people does not mean they are not effective.
"It is important to remember that infections in vaccinated people do not mean that vaccines do not work," he continued.
"While no vaccine is 100% effective in this way, these breakthrough infections that occur are generally much less severe, and they are associated with less risk of hospitalisation.
"Vaccination programmes are one of the greatest public health developments of our time. Not only are the Covid-19 vaccines available to you in Ireland all highly effective and very safe, but they are our road out of this pandemic."
The CMO said that the vaccines are key to ensuring "the continued safe reopening" of Ireland's economy over the coming months.
"Getting vaccinated is an act of solidarity that keeps one another protected, and ensures the continued safe reopening of our society and economy," he said.
