We are delighted to have our Vaccination Rollout here well underway. By mid-April, subject to ongoing planned deliveries, we expected to have completed the full vaccination for all our patients aged 80 & over; and also that most – if not all – of our patients aged 70-80 will have had Dose 1, with Dose 2 to be completed 4 weeks later. The vaccination to date here has been the Pfizer Vaccine.
The HSE has asked all Practices then to consider continuing with vaccination of:
- the next prioritised grouping which is Group 4 aged 16-69 & at very high risk if they got Covid-19 &
- Group 7 aged 16 – 64 at high risk. This is largely the group of people for whom the annual flu vaccine is advised but please click in the above link for more detailed information.
For any Practice that is not in a position to carry out the Group 4 & 7 Covid-19 vaccinations, these vaccinations will be delivered in the (likely nearest) Covid-19 Vaccination Centre. At this point in early April, I understand this to be in Enniscorthy.
For all in Group 5 (people aged 60-69 & at high risk) & Group 6 (all others aged 60-69), it is planned that vaccination will be available through a Covid-19 Vaccination Centre.
This Practice is proceeding with the vaccination of the Group 4 ‘very high risk’ group and will also be then doing probably 3 dozen or so vaccinations for the Group 7. This additional 3 dozen or so is because of the way delivery of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine is being organised. All who receive their first dose here will receive their 2nd dose here also. However, particularly in light of this being a single-handed Practice & hence with a significant impact on non-Covid services, I am not opting in to complete the remainder of the Group 7 cohort here- which runs to a number of 100’s. Further arrangements will be made for this cohort through the local Vaccination Centre and when we have information regarding same, we will communicate it to the patients in this grouping.
We have been told that it is the Astra-Zeneca Vaccine which will be available for Groups 4 & 7. We will be in contact individually with each patient to whom we will be offering the vaccine here once we have received further necessary updates on same. I expect that this part of the Vaccine Rollout here will likely not begin before end April/early May.
So, #KeepGoing. We are now over a year into this Pandemic here in Ireland and hopefully after the last Wave 3, we have the worst behind us – if we all keep doing our 2 metres/ handwashing/ face masks etc.