The COVID-19 vaccination programme in the Republic of Ireland is an ongoing mass

immunisation Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an infectious agent (known as the immunogen). When this system is exposed to molecules that are foreign to the body, called ''non ...

campaign that began on 29 December 2020 in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland The COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the Republic of Ireland, it has resulted in 1 ...

. Ireland's vaccination rollout has been praised as one of the most successful rollouts in the world and was ranked number one in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...

in terms of its percentage of adult population fully vaccinated, and was also ranked number one in the EU for the number of booster vaccines administered. As of 20 February 2023, 12,744,694 vaccine doses have been administered, of which 4,107,865 people have received at least one dose, 3,819,227 have received their second dose and 4,817,602 have received a booster dose.

Background

Preparations

On 1 December 2020, the

Government of Ireland The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The go ...

approved an advance purchase agreement for 875,000 doses of the

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine The Moderna COVID19 vaccine (INN: elasomeran), sold under the brand name Spikevax, is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by American company Moderna, the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Biomedi ...

. On 15 December,

Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...

Stephen Donnelly Stephen Donnelly (born 14 December 1975) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Health since June 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency since 2011. On his election to Dáil Éireann, ...

announced the Government's National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, which outlined the country's high-level plan for safe, effective and efficient vaccination of the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

, while safeguarding continued provision of health and social care services. On 17 January 2021, the

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government ...

requested early deliveries of the

Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine The Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine, sold under the brand names Covishield and Vaxzevria among others, is a viral vector vaccine for prevention of COVID-19. Developed in the United Kingdom by Oxford University and British-Swedish com ...

as discussions to secure early delivery of the vaccine got underway.

Vaccines on order

COVID-19 booster campaign

The

Health Service Executive The Health Service Executive (HSE) ( ga, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte) is the publicly funded healthcare system in Ireland, responsible for the provision of health and personal social services. It came into operation on 1 January 2005 ...

(HSE) announced on 24 September that immunocompromised people aged over 12 would be notified of an appointment for a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine from Wednesday 29 September, as Ireland's COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign would commence. In addition, the

National Immunisation Advisory Committee The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) is an Irish advisory body that advises the Chief Medical Officer and Department of Health in the area of immunisation procedures and related matters. NIAC was established within the Royal ...

recommended additional vaccines be given to elderly people aged over 80 and to anyone over 65 in a long-term care facility. On 19 October, the

(NIAC) approved vaccine boosters for people aged 60 and over. On 1 November, following new advice from NIAC,

authorised the use of booster vaccines for healthcare staff, while boosters were extended to people aged 50 to 59, those aged 16 to 59 with an underlying condition and all long-term healthcare facility residents on 16 November. On 26 November, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced that booster vaccines would be offered to everyone aged 16 and over, starting with pregnant women aged over 16, those aged 40 to 49 and those aged 16 to 39, following new recommendations from NIAC. On 13 December, the NIAC recommended that people would be able to receive a booster dose three months after their second dose. On 19 December, the booster vaccination programme began for people aged 40 to 49. On 23 December, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced that booster vaccines would be offered to everyone aged 30 and over from 29 December, and announced on New Year's Eve that booster vaccines would be offered to all remaining age groups from 2 January 2022, eight days earlier than planned. On 21 February 2022,

accepted recommendations from NIAC that booster vaccines be offered to children aged 12 to 15 years. On 6 April, the NIAC recommended a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose for everyone aged 65 and older, and for those aged 12 and older who are immunocompromised. On 21 April, the HSE announced that people aged 65 years and older could book online for their second COVID-19 booster vaccine appointment at vaccination centres. On 23 July, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly accepted new recommendations from the NIAC over Ireland's autumn COVID-19 vaccination programme, which would see a first, second or third booster vaccine given to certain age groups. On 29 December, the HSE announced that people aged 18 to 49 would be offered their second booster dose and a first vaccine for infants and children aged six months to four years was also authorised amid concerns about a rise in cases of COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory illness.

Timeline

December 2020

Annie Lynch, a 79-year-old woman, became the first person in the Republic of Ireland to receive the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine at

St. James's Hospital St. James's Hospital ''Confirms spelling of name as "James's" and Irish name'' ( ga, Ospidéal Naomh Séamas) is a teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Its academic partner is Trinity College Dublin. It is managed by Dublin Midlands Hospital G ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

on 29 December 2020, and received the second dose three weeks later on Tuesday 19 January 2021. On

St Stephen's Day Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Chr ...

, the first shipment of 10,000 Pfizer–BioNTech vaccines arrived in the country. Maura Byrne, a 95-year-old woman, became the first nursing home resident in the Republic of Ireland to receive the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine on 5 January 2021, while Dr Eavan Muldoon, an infectious diseases consultant, became the first healthcare worker in the Mater University Hospital to receive the vaccine. On the same day,

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legislature) and the offi ...

Micheál Martin Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence since December 2022. He served as Taoiseach from 2020 to 2022 and has been Leader of ...

announced that up to 135,000 people would be vaccinated nationwide by the end of February 2021.

January 2021

Following the approval of the

by the European Medicines Agency on 6 January 2021,

Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Ta ...

Leo Varadkar Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish politician who has served as Taoiseach since December 2022, and previously from 2017 to 2020. He served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from June 2020 to ...

announced that the vaccine would allow 10,000 more people in Ireland to be vaccinated per week. The rollout of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine in private and voluntary nursing homes began nationwide on 7 January, with 22 nursing homes of 3,000 residents and staff to be vaccinated. The first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the Republic of Ireland on 12 January. Around 1,800 healthcare workers received the Moderna vaccine at three mass vaccination centres that opened in

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city ...

and

Portlaoise Portlaoise ( ), or Port Laoise (), is the county town of County Laois, Ireland. It is located in the South Midlands in the province of Leinster. The 2016 census shows that the town's population increased by 9.5% to 22,050, which was well above ...

on 16 January.

February 2021

The first shipment of 21,600 AstraZeneca vaccines arrived in the country on 6 February. On 24 February,

announced that Ireland had ordered enough vaccines to vaccinate 10.3 million people with 18.5 million doses of

COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an est ...

s ordered.

March 2021

On 6 March,

announced that Ireland had reached the milestone of half a million COVID-19 vaccines administered. On 10 March, Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that Ireland was to receive a further 46,500 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine before the end of March. On 22 March, it was announced that

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

Michael D. Higgins Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, Mícheál Dónal Ó hUigínn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...

and his wife

Sabina Higgins Sabina Mary Higgins (née Coyne; born 1941 or 1942) is an Irish actress, political activist and the wife of the current president of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. Early life Sabina Coyne grew up on a small farm in Cloonrane, Milltown near the ...

received their first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine on 19 March.

April 2021

On 8 April, the

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...

of the

(HSE)

Paul Reid Paul Reid may refer to: * Paul Reid (footballer, born 1968), English football player * Paul Reid (soccer, born 1979), Australian soccer player * Paul Reid (footballer, born 1982), English football player * Paul Reid (writer), American writer for C ...

announced that Ireland had reached the milestone of one million COVID-19 vaccines administered. On 15 April, over 26,000 people registered for a COVID-19 vaccination after the online portal for 69-year-olds went live. On 25 April, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced that Ireland had reached the milestone of one million first doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered.

May 2021

On 9 May, Taoiseach Micheál Martin received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in

Cork City Hall The City Hall, Cork () is a civic building in Cork, Ireland which houses the administrative headquarters of Cork City Council. History The current building is likely the 6th or 7th city hall to have existed in Cork city. In 1833, the origin ...

and urged people to get vaccinated to protect themselves, while a record 52,278 doses were administered on Friday 7 May. On 17 May, the

(NIAC) confirmed that people in their 40s would be given a choice to accept the Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine or opt to wait for another vaccine.

June 2021

On 2 June, NIAC advised that the gap between two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine could be reduced from 12 weeks to 8 weeks. On 5 June, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in

Greystones Greystones () is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies on Ireland's east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin city centre and has a population of 18,140 (2016). The town is bordered by the Irish Sea to ...

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered ...

July 2021

On 2 July, following recommendations from NIAC, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced an expansion of the vaccination rollout programme to younger people with 750 pharmacies to begin administering the Janssen vaccine to people in the 18 to 34 age group who opted in for earlier vaccination from 5 July, while vaccination centres would begin administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to the group from 12 July. On 5 July, over 500 pharmacies around the country began administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to people aged 18 to 34 who opted-in to receive it. On 27 July, after the COVID-19 vaccine registration portal opened to people aged 16 and 17 for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, the Government agreed to extend the vaccination programme to those aged 12 to 15 following recommendations from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee. On the evening of 11 August, the COVID-19 vaccine registration portal opened to people aged 12 to 15 for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. On 12 August, the Chief Executive of the HSE

said the vaccination programme was in "the final leg" after more than 50,000 people aged 12 to 15 registered to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, with 90% of adults partially vaccinated and 80% fully vaccinated.

August 2021

On 3 August,

announced that a deal had been completed to secure 700,000 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines from

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...

. On 18 August, Ireland received its largest ever weekly shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, with over 540,000 doses delivered to the HSE, including the first batch of unwanted vaccines from the Romanian Government.

September 2021

On 1 September, under changes to the COVID-19 vaccination programme, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee recommended that pregnant women could be offered an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at any stage of pregnancy and that immunocompromised individuals aged 12 and older could receive a third additional vaccine dose. On 8 September,

announced an update to Ireland's COVID-19 vaccination programme, with residents aged 65 years and older living in long term residential care facilities and people aged 80 years and older living in the community to receive a booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Two days later on 10 September, latest figures showed that 90% of adults in Ireland were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while the seven-millionth dose was administered. This is one of the highest levels of vaccination in the European Union.

November 2021

On 25 November, the HSE began preliminary planning for offering COVID-19 vaccines to children aged 5 to 11. after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave its approval.

December 2021

On 8 December, the NIAC recommended that COVID-19 vaccinations be offered to children aged five to 11 years.

January 2022

On 3 January 2022, vaccine registration began for all children aged 5 to 11, and vaccinations for this age group began on 8 January.

Vaccination certificates

The

(HSE) issues a vaccine record card to those receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in Ireland that provides reminders for a follow-up appointment. The card contains the recipient's name, the dates on which the two doses were administered, the name of the vaccine, and its batch number. The vaccine record card, along with the

EU Digital COVID Certificate The EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC), known in Italy as the Green Pass, and in France as the Sanitary Pass or Health Pass (''passe sanitaire''), was a COVID-19 vaccine passport created by the European Union (EU), that is valid in all member ...

, were used as proofs of vaccination in restaurants, hotels and bars to gain access to indoor hospitality, as well as in nightclubs, indoor live entertainment, cinemas, theatres and gyms. Requirements on the use of vaccine certificates were scrapped in January 2022.

Vaccine rollout and distribution

Vaccine priority groups

The COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy currently includes 9 priority groups for the vaccine rollout in Ireland. On 23 February, following the publication of the

's new revised Living with COVID-19 plan called ''"The Path Ahead"'',

announced an update to the COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy with people aged between 16 and 69 who are at very high risk of developing severe COVID-19 moved up the priority list, after the

National Public Health Emergency Team A National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is a group within Ireland's Department of Health (Ireland), Department of Health. It is in the power of the Minister for Health (Ireland), Minister for Health to convene such a group when a publi ...

endorsed recommendations by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee. On 30 March, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced an update to the COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy with priority groups being changed to an age-based system after vulnerable people with underlying conditions were vaccinated. "People who have an underlying condition that puts them at high risk of severe disease and death" is defined as: *People with cancer **

Haematological Hematology ( always spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the produc ...

– within 1 year **Haematological – within 1–5 years **Non-haematological – within 1 year **All other cancers on non-hormonal treatment *People with chronic heart (and vascular) disease (e.g.

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

, hypertensive cardiac disease) *People with

chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a type of kidney disease in which a gradual loss of kidney function occurs over a period of months to years. Initially generally no symptoms are seen, but later symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, ...

with eGFR <30ml/min *People with

chronic liver disease Chronic liver disease in the clinical context is a disease process of the liver that involves a process of progressive destruction and regeneration of the liver parenchyma leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. "Chronic liver disease" refers to diseas ...

(e.g.

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue repai ...

fibrosis Fibrosis, also known as fibrotic scarring, is a pathological wound healing in which connective tissue replaces normal parenchymal tissue to the extent that it goes unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodelling and the formation of permane ...

) *People with chronic neurological disease or condition (e.g.

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be p ...

. *People with chronic respiratory disease (e.g. stable

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. ...

, severe

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, c ...

(continuous or repeated use of

systemic corticosteroids Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Two main classes of corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, are involve ...

), moderate

COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

) *People with

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

( Type 1 and 2) *People who are

immunocompromised Immunodeficiency, also known as immunocompromisation, is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious diseases and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. Most cases are acquired ("secondary") due to extrinsic factors that a ...

due to disease or treatment (e.g. high dose systemic

steroid A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and ...

s, persons living with

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immu ...

) *People with

inherited metabolic diseases Inborn errors of metabolism form a large class of genetic diseases involving congenital disorders of enzyme activities. The majority are due to defects of single genes that code for enzymes that facilitate conversion of various substances (substrat ...

*People with

intellectual disabilities Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation, Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signifi ...

(excluding

Down syndrome Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with child development, physical growth delays, mild to moderate ...

) *People who are

obese Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...

( BMI >35 kg/m²) *People with severe

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...

(e.g.

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wi ...

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

, severe depression)

Organisations involved

A High-Level Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccination was established on 11 November 2020 to oversee the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in the country once they were approved by the statutory authorities, and to support the

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...

and

(HSE) to deliver a COVID-19 immunisation programme that meets best practice and provides good governance. The first full meeting of the task force took place on 23 November 2020 and was chaired by Professor

Brian MacCraith Professor Brian Dominic MacCraith (born Dundalk, 1957), is an Irish physicist who was the third president of Dublin City University (DCU) in Ireland. He joined DCU in 1986 and became president in July 2010, for a term of 10 years. After his t ...

. Members of the High-Level Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccination are made up of senior representatives from the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive, the

Health Products Regulatory Authority The Health Products Regulatory Authority is an Irish regulatory agency. It advises the Irish government. It is responsible for both public and animal health. It regulates medicines, medical devices, clinical trials and other health products and ...

, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, the Office of

Government Procurement Government procurement or public procurement is the procurement of goods, services and works on behalf of a public authority, such as a government agency. Amounting to 12 percent of global GDP in 2018, government procurement accounts for a sub ...

IDA Ireland Industrial Development Agency (IDA Ireland) ( ga, An Ghníomhaireacht Forbartha Tionscail) is the agency responsible for the attraction and retention of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) into Ireland. The agency was founded in 1949 as the I ...

, the

Dublin Airport Authority DAA (styled "daa"), previously Dublin Airport Authority, is a commercial semi-state airport company in Ireland. The company owns and operates Dublin Airport and Cork Airport. Its other subsidiaries include the travel retail business Aer Ria ...

, the

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment ( ga, An Roinn Fiontar, Trádála agus Fostaíochta) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment who is assisted by two Ministe ...

and the

Department of the Taoiseach The Department of the Taoiseach ( ga, Roinn an Taoisigh) is the government department of the Taoiseach, the title in Ireland for the head of government.Article 13.1.1° and Article 28.5.1° of the Constitution of Ireland. The latter provisi ...

. The

(an independent body outside of the HSE) provides expert, evidence-based and impartial guidance about the COVID-19 vaccines to the

Chief Medical Officer Chief medical officer (CMO) is the title used in many countries for the senior government official designated head of medical services, sometimes at the national level. The post is held by a physician who serves to advise and lead a team of medical ...

in the

Progress to date

Vaccination centres

Up to 40 large vaccination centres were put in place across the country to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Major facilities were put in place in

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

and

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...

, with smaller centres in

Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 20,928 in the 2016 census. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmea ...

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...

Ennis Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...

Nenagh Nenagh (, ; or simply ''An tAonach'') meaning “The Fair of Ormond” or simply "The Fair", is the county town and second largest town in County Tipperary in Ireland. Nenagh used to be a market town, and the site of the East Munster Ormond ...

Bantry Bantry () is a town in the civil parish of Kilmocomoge in the barony of Bantry on the southwest coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies in West Cork at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for to the west. The Beara Peninsula i ...

and

Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in Coun ...

. Three GP-run vaccination centres were also put in place across the country, with

The Helix A helix is a spiral-like space curve. Helix may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Helix (roller coaster), a roller coaster at Liseberg in Gothenburg, Sweden Print * ''The Helix'' (magazine), an Australian teen science bimonthly * ...

Dublin City University Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) ( ga, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a Third-level education in the Republic of Ireland, university based on the Northside, Dublin, Northside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Cre ...

the first to be established, vaccinating 5,000 people a day.

Páirc Uí Chaoimh Páirc Uí Chaoimh ( ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Cork, Ireland. It is the home of Cork GAA. The venue, often referred to simply as The Park, is located in Ballintemple and is built near to the site of the original Cork Athletic Grounds. The s ...

GAA grounds and

Munster Technological University Munster Technological University (MTU; ga, Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta na Mumhan) is a public technological university consisting of six campuses located in Cork and Kerry. The university was established in January 2021, the result of a merger ...

's Bishopstown campus were transformed into mass vaccination centres, administering 10,000 shots a day. Large venues such as

sports stadia A stadium (plural, : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to ...

, GAA clubs,

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

s, conference centres and

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectato ...

s were used as mass vaccination centres across all

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in Ireland.

Locations

On 15 February,

confirmed locations for 37 vaccination centres across all

as part of the country's COVID-19 vaccination programme. On 20 February, nearly 1,000 patients over the age of 85 received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the country's first mass vaccination centre at

. On 28 July, it was announced that some of the vaccination centres would allow walk-in vaccinations on certain days and times without an appointment.

Issues and controversies

Adverse events

On 14 March 2021, the administration of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was suspended in Ireland by the

(NIAC) as a precautionary measure following concerns over serious

blood clots A thrombus (plural thrombi), colloquially called a blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. There are two components to a thrombus: aggregated platelets and red blood cells that form a plug, and a mesh of cr ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. On 19 March, the NIAC recommended that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine could continue to be used in Ireland following approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on 18 March. On 8 April, the

(HPRA) began an investigation after the first case of a very rare blood clot in the brain of a person after vaccination with the

AstraZeneca vaccine AstraZeneca plc () is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includin ...

was confirmed in a 40-year-old Dublin woman. On 12 April, following a lengthy meeting, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommend that only people over 60 years of age should get the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and that a second dose of the vaccine should not be given to anyone who developed unusual blood clots with low platelets after the first dose.

Hospitals

On 26 March 2021, the Labour Party leader Alan Kelly called for the chief executive of the

Beacon Hospital Beacon Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Beacon) is a privately owned full-service teaching hospital located in the Sandyford suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The hospital was developed by Beacon Medical Group (BMG). History Beacon Hospita ...

to resign after it gave 20 leftover COVID-19 vaccines to a number of teachers and staff at a

private secondary school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

Bray, County Wicklow Bray ( ) is a coastal town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated about south of Dublin city centre on the east coast. It has a population of 32,600 making it the ninth largest urban area within Ireland (at the 2016 census). Bray is ...

on 23 March. One day later on 27 March,

requested the

(HSE) to suspend vaccine operations at the Beacon Hospital following the controversy. On 19 July, four months after the controversy, an independent report found that the decision by the hospital to provide vaccines to 20 teachers at the Bray school was incorrect, but was made in good faith. On 1 April, an independent review of the COVID-19 vaccination programme at the Coombe Hospital found that a consultant brought two leftover vaccine doses home to administer them to two family members.

Opposition to age-based overhaul of vaccines

On 30 March 2021, a decision by the

to overhaul the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to an age-based system sparked anger and concern among teachers' unions and

key worker A key worker, critical worker or essential worker is a public-sector or private-sector employee who is considered to provide an essential service. The term has been used in the United Kingdom in the context of workers who may find it difficult ...

s. The new change meant that key workers in essential jobs and the

education sector Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

who couldn't avoid a high risk of exposure to the virus would lose vaccine prioritisation. Ireland's largest teaching union, the

Irish National Teachers' Organisation The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) ( ga, Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann), founded in 1868, is the oldest and largest teachers' trade union in Ireland. It represents teachers at primary level in the Republic of Ireland, and at prima ...

(INTO), strongly criticised moves to change the vaccination rollout plan stating it was "extremely concerned" by the news, while the

Teachers' Union of Ireland Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI; ga, Aontas Múinteoirí Éireann) is a trade union in Ireland representing teachers and lecturers in post-primary schools, adult education colleges, institutes of technology, and technological universities. The ...

(TUI) echoed concerns and called for urgent engagement with the

Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

. The

Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland The Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) is a trade union for secondary school teachers in Ireland. It is a member of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The union represents 18,500 teachers in schools attended by 80% of all seco ...

(ASTI) stated it was "shocked and dismayed" by the changes and claimed the decision was "totally at odds" with the objective to keep schools open, while the president of the

Garda Representative Association Garda may refer to: * Police, known as Garda in Hiberno-English * Garda (security company), a security and protection company headquartered in Montreal, Canada * Garda Síochána, the national police of the Republic of Ireland * Garda National ...

(GRA) described the change as "a sucker punch" to their members, and that the decision "downgraded" the work of Gardaí and disregarded the risks they took while policing the pandemic. On 7 April, the three teacher unions voted for an emergency motion backing

industrial action Industrial action (British English) or job action (American English) is a temporary show of dissatisfaction by employees—especially a strike or slowdown or working to rule—to protest against bad working conditions or low pay and to increa ...

, up to and including

strike action Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike, or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to Labor (economics), work. A strike usually takes place in response to grievance (labour), employee grievance ...

, if they were not prioritised for vaccination.

Health Service Executive ransomware attack

On 14 May 2021, the COVID-19 vaccination registration portal was made offline after the

(HSE) shut down all of its IT systems after a major ransomware attack, but was later restored in the evening.

Anti-vaccine protests

On 24 July 2021, around 1,500 protestors gathered in Dublin city centre to protest against vaccines, new legislation allowing for the reopening of indoor dining and the

. On 27 November, thousands of people attended a protest against COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine passports at the GPO on Dublin's

O'Connell Street O'Connell Street () is a street in the centre of Dublin, Ireland, running north from the River Liffey. It connects the O'Connell Bridge to the south with Parnell Street to the north and is roughly split into two sections bisected by Henry ...

Notes

References

External links

Gov.ie – COVID-19 Vaccine

Ireland's COVID-19 Data Hub – Vaccinations
{{Europe topic, COVID-19 vaccination in 2020 in the Republic of Ireland 2021 in the Republic of Ireland COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...