Ireland launch of vaccine: GPs are getting the power to use backup vaccines on younger cohorts

GPs have been given the authority to pass on age groups to young people where they have a surplus of Covid-19 vaccines, at noon yesterday.

This comes amid reports that a number of people in their twenties are being offered scheduled vaccination appointments in some practices.

Starting tomorrow, the portal opens for 40-44 year olds

So far 2.7 million doses have been given.

Yesterday, HSE said that a protocol is in place to ensure a no-waste vaccine policy.

A Health, Safety and Environment spokeswoman said: “Doctors provide estimates for cohort 4 and 7 patients, which determine the allocation of their vaccine.

«When the GP administers the vaccine to all of their patients in groups 4 and 7, and has an excess of the vaccine, then they can move through their reserve lists and into the following age groups.»

The spokeswoman rejected claims that some provinces are getting vaccinations faster than others.

This is not accurate. All information across the Covax system indicates an even distribution of the vaccine across the country.

“In some cases, people will be directed to centers outside the closest to them if an appointment can be made for them at an earlier date.

This meets the overall goal of ensuring that people get vaccinated as quickly as possible.

«With different population sizes and assimilations, there will inevitably be some time gaps as each region operates across age groups.»

Some people at risk of contracting Covid-19, whose GP is not involved in the vaccination plan, have faced registration delays due to the cyber attack.

The ongoing race for vaccination comes as it appeared yesterday that 59 people in mandatory quarantine at the hotel here have tested positive for some kind of anxiety from the virus since its inception on March 26.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly told Seanad that as of May 27, 4,616 people had entered mandatory hotel quarantine.

Of these 178 residents tested positive for Covid-19 and 59 were a variable of concern

As of May 26, there were a total of 1,563 appeals, and 11% of these appeals were accepted, or 175.

Meanwhile, 378 new cases of the virus were recorded yesterday. The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care for two days was unchanged at 35.

Overall, the number of hospitalized patients with the virus decreased slightly, to 98.

Intensive care specialists have warned that while younger age groups are less likely to contract the virus, there are a number of young people in intensive care including a man in his 30s in Mater who has been there for several weeks.

In the UK, some scientists advising the government have called for a delay in the planned end to lockdown restrictions on June 21, warning that it faces a third Covid wave fueled by India’s version.

Professor Ravi Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, said ministers should consider delaying their goal of eliminating all measures on that date by «a few weeks» as new data showed the variable is spreading across the country.

He said there had been an «exponential growth» in the number of cases, due to the more transmissible strain.