The country's first mass vaccination centre is up and running this morning — with more than 1,000 over 85s set to receive their first Covid jab today.
Dozens of smaller GP practices are coming together at the Helix in DCU to administer the Pfizer and Moderna doses.
It is expected 5,000 older patients will get their vaccine at the centre in the weeks ahead, with other hubs in Cork and Galway to start operating soon.
Dr Ray Walley, national GP advisor to the HSE on Covid-19, says the centre will help in the vaccine rollout.
Dr Walley said: “It's a very exciting day, this system was put in place for practices with less than 200 over 70 patients, this allows practices to provide a service which will be fully and appropriately resourced in a safe manner, in a well ventilated manner, to allow in excess of 1,000 over 85s be vaccinated by their own GP and practice teams.”
Over 100 GP Practices, 48 vaccination booths, almost 1000 people aged 85 & older vaccinated — a wonderful day at @TheHelixDublin @DCU!
The positivity & joy is palpable.
Thank you to all the GPs, Practice Nurses, support teams & all at @HSELive who made this happen pic.twitter.com/eGdIl5lL5X— Brian MacCraith (@muirtheimhne) February 20, 2021
Speaking to RTÉ yesterday, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that 80,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines were administered this week, with a further 100,000 doses expected next week.
719 people are in hospital with Covid-19 this morning, which includes 153 in intensive care.
28 Covid-related deaths and 763 new cases were confirmed yesterday, amid concerns the decline has slowed.
Public health expert, Professor Gabriel Scally, says the high numbers are directly due to restrictions being eased before Christmas.
Dr Scally said: “It was inevitable we were going to have a really bad problem in January and February. This is absolutely a result of those [Government] decisions that were made, but it's a long way down from that peak, it's taking so long because it went up so far.”
Meanwhile, the rate of Covid-19 infection among hospital workers has fallen by 90 per cent since the beginning of vaccine rollout for frontline staff, according to new data.
The decline in infection has outpaced the reduction in Covid cases among the public, which is 76 per cent, according to The Irish Times.
Early vaccine effect
HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said some of the “sharp drop” in hospital staff could be attributed to a drop in community transmission, however, “the scale and timing of the fall is encouraging and suggests an early vaccine effect”.
Covid-19 cases among hospital workers peaked after Christmas with around 1,000 in the week ending January 17th, Dr Henry said.
“We have seen a distinct fall in cases, particularly in the last two weeks. On the week ending February 14th, it was at just under 100 cases."
