A timetable for the rollout of the vaccine was also discussed.
As we all gear up for Christmas and hoping to experience it under as-normal-as-possible circumstances given the pandemic surroundings, all eyes are already looking forward to 2021, and the arrival of a vaccine that can put a lot of people's fears to rest.
In the last few weeks, there have been at least three different vaccines announced, with success rates ranging from 70% to 95%, but the real question is when can people actually expect to receive it?
Speaking to
Newstalk, Trinity College immunology specialist Professor Luke O'Neill discussed what Ireland can expect to get, and potentially, when:
"Ireland is expecting to get nine million doses, from maybe two or three companies, that is the plan. And that could be in the first couple of weeks in January. So we may have access to nine millions doses, which means we can vaccinate the entire country. But that will take a few months [to roll out]."
The reason why the number is so high may come down to some vaccines needing a double dose, meaning double the amount of doses are needed to inoculate everyone in the country.
Professor O'Neill also discussed the global initiative COVAX, which has been created to help defeat the virus on a global scale:
"But COVAX is a remarkable organisation. 90 governments have put money in COVAX, and its job is to vaccinate the poorer countries and the middle income countries in the world, because we must vaccinate them as well, remember. Partly because they're suffering more. Poor countries always do worse in a pandemic for all kinds of reasons. There wouldn't be any point in vaccinating Europe if we aren't vaccinating other parts of the world - it could always come back in."
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