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ALL OF THE 600,000 children’s nasal vaccine doses will be available to administer by mid-October.
An amount equivalent to three-quarters of the adult flu vaccines ordered by the State last year, are due to arrive in Ireland by 15 October, TheJournal.ie understands.
Ireland has ordered 1.35 million flu jab doses for adults and 600,000 doses for children.
There was an initial delay with the arrival of the flu vaccine in Ireland and a number of other countries this year due to increased demand.
Deliveries of the adult vaccine began on 17 September and will continue every two weeks until January.
It is understood that Ireland will receive the vaccines as part of the first batch being sent out after the delay.
The vaccine for children will be free of charge for kids aged two to 12 years between October and December.
The vaccine is not compulsory, but parents or guardians who want their children to be vaccinated can arrange this with their GP or pharmacist.
Speaking to media last week, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said officials want this to be the “biggest flu vaccination programme the State has ever seen”.
It was reported last week that some pharmacists and GPs have been rescheduling flu jab bookings for non-priority patients due to a delay in the arrival of the vaccines.
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) said some “inconvenience and frustration” has been caused by the rescheduling of these appointments.
“There has been a technical delay in initial vaccine allocations, meaning that vaccine orders have not been delivered as expected – not just in Ireland, but throughout the Northern hemisphere,” the IPU said in a statement last Friday.
Pharmacy chain Boots is not currently accepting bookings for patients who are not considered to be at-risk by the HSE due to increased demand.
Those at-risk include people aged over 65, children aged 2-12 and certain people with long-term health conditions.
“In-line with HSE guidance, we are now prioritising any future appointments for at-risk patients,” Boots said in a statement.
This decision will continue to be monitored as the flu season progresses.
With reporting by Christina Finn
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I’m getting it. 1st time. Everyone should get it this year. €20 quid or so in the chemist.
@Deirdre O C: got it last week chemist said it was free
@Deirdre O C:
€30.00 in boots if you don’t fit into the at risk category or live with someone at risk. Generally they are only giving it to the AT RISK or those that live with an AT RISK person because of low stocks.
I was willing to pay the 30.00 but got it for free because I live with 2 people at risk.
My partner had a local reaction to it last year. But didn’t this year.
I’m in the vulnerable category due to diabetes and other issues so I get it every year and haven’t had so much as a runny nose in at least 5 years.
Won’t need it as we’re all wearing masks
@Rory Mackle: You know masks won’t fill the GSK coffers though!
@LD: toxic comment
@Teresa O’Halloran: Same to you my friend!
@Rory Mackle: The vunerable do need it as we’re not all wearing masks and/or social distancing where appropriate. Hence why Covid19 is spreading again. Not getting it myself as I’m neither a vunerable person nor in regular close contact with vunerable people. With under 2 million total doses for a population of 4.9 million, the vunerable, those in close contact with them and healthcare workers should come first. The remainder can then be sold to those for whom the flu is a nasty inconvenience rather than a life threatening illness.
Anti vaccination crowd will love this
@Mmark Dos Santos Cahill: I don’t think they will.
@Stephen Gaffney: Earth to Steve, he was being sarcastic
@Crocodylus Pontifex: How did you detect his sarcasm and not mine?
Got mine this week. Had it booked since start of September. All good, just a wee bruise at the injection site.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: Wow you must be still on a high from all the excitement! What are you gonna do with yourself now until you can book your next one.
@LD: I’m just glad I was so on top of things. My parents are struggling to get appointments now. And my pharmacy only got in 30 out of over 100 ordered of their first batch, soi was really lucky to actually get sorted already.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: You wouldn’t even book appointments for your parents while you were so on top of things? Mirabelle Stoneheart more like.
@Fandandi: I went to my pharmacy,mum is trying to get it through her gp, and dad is trying to get it through his pharmacy. Three different places. They knew I made my booking, as I told them how convenient it had been, doing it through the sam McCauley app. If they had wanted appointments booked, I’d have had no issue doing that. They wanted their own appointments, at their preferred places.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: Don’t pay any heed to them. The anti-vaxxers are upset you actually got the jab and will use any excuse to have a go at you.
I want a debunking article please. I still can’t get the hang of this thinking for myself stuff
Why did catriona Perry and rte crew travel to the “epicentre ” of the deadly deadly virus today, in Derry
Did tracksuit wearing (thats never seen a track ) Stephen Nolan put them up in his isolation unit
I’ve never seen such unity between North and south
Got my jab last week sixteenth year running never got the flu in that time
@Sean Swords: what?
@Sean Swords: sixteen years running is an awful lot of running… Your legs must be like tree trunks at this stage.
Considering masks, social distance, higher hygiene and lockdown there will be far less flu around than usual. That’s what’s happened in Argentina and Australia earlier this year.
Can we get the Russian Covid-19 vaccine?
@Tony Ember: niet comrade
In the current environment it should be free. I will pay for it but so many can’t x
@Joanne Stack: I got mine free, because my mother, whom I live with, has diabetes and heart disease. They’re kinds throwing them at people this year, if they even dip a toe in a vulnerable category.
Got it last week sixteenth year running never had the in all that time
@Sean Swords: I’ve never got it and haven’t had the flu in my entire 41 years
Nasal vaccine ?? Never heard of that until recently. What does it entail? A needle up the nose or what? Not sure my kids will be doing thst
have your say