Government announce details of national Covid-19 vaccination plan

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said that the rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine could begin by the end of the year.

Speaking as the Government announced details of the national Covid-19 vaccination plan this afternoon, Mr. Donnelly said that if the European Medicines Agency authorises the vaccine at its December 21 meeting then it could begin to be administered in Ireland within days. Today's announcement outlined details of a three-phase plan consisting of the initial roll out, a mass ramp-up and open access. The vaccination allocation sequencing is set out below, starting with adults aged over 65 who are residents of long-term care facilities... Mr. Donnelly said that "today is a really positive day for all of us. After a very difficult year, we are hopeful that Covid-19 vaccines will be approved for use in Ireland in a matter of weeks." However, Chief Medical Offier Dr. Tony Holohan offered a note of caution by saying that "the vaccine will not have a positive impact on the trajectory of this virus for a number of months" and people should continue to "do all that we can to save lives now." You can view the Government's Covid-19 vaccination plan in full via this link. READ NEXT: 12 great Irish self-care gifts for when 2020 is getting you down