DUBLIN: The guidelines for the distribution of free COVID-19 vaccine in Ireland are ready. COVID-19 vaccines are administered under the supervision of doctors, nurses and pharmacists. The government has prepared a plan detailing the procurement and transportation of various vaccines. The cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning will consider the plan.
The government believes that the COVID-19 vaccination program can be successful by establishing good relations with health professionals and the general public. Therefore, a safe and fair action plan has been prepared to involve all sections of the people.
There is a need to review the priority list for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, including those under 18 years of age with serious health conditions. The issue was brought to Dáil’s attention by Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the matter would be brought to the attention of the Chief Medical Officer.
Mr. Varadkar said that women below the age of 18 and pregnant women are at the bottom of the list because their risk is very low. The logistics plan for vaccinating across the country will be completed today. He said Taoiseach Micheál Martin was currently in Brussels in connection with the EU summit and would not attend today’s cabinet meeting. If so, the plan will be published only after Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.
Its “normal that people have rare reactions to all vaccines,” said Ultan Power, professor of Molecular Virology at Queen’s University Belfast. He was speaking after two NHS employees became allergic to the UK’s Pfizer / BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine.
Health experts say that relaxing restrictions on Christmas is a “recipe for disaster”
Meanwhile, Dr. Gabriel Scally, president of the epidemiology and public health section of Britain’s Royal Society of Medicine, said that easing the COVID-19 restrictions on Christmas would be tantamount to giving a “recipe for disaster”.
“We should be keeping our guard up. Some of the features of Christmas are not helpful with the meeting of multi-generational families over quite a period of time, the weather, masks not being used, and a lot of people coming into the country. As a public health doctor, it is a real recipe for disaster come January and February,” he said.