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IRELAND HAS AGREED a deal in principle to purchase one million unwanted vaccines from Romania.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin spoke with his Romanian counterpart, President Klaus Iohannis this morning and a deal was agreed, but is yet to be finalised.
It will provide a further boost for Ireland’s vaccination rollout, following an earlier announcement that it will be accelerated for people aged 18 to 34.
A spokesman for the Taoiseach said: “This process is continuing and is yet to be completed. He will continue to work with his government colleagues to expedite the vaccine programme.
“This includes discussions with the European Commission and with member states, particularly those who may have potential surpluses.
“Ensuring that as many people as possible can get vaccinated as quickly as possible remains the best way to combat Covid-19, particularly given the rapid rise of the Delta variant.”
The PA news agency understands that the purchase will be made up of the mRNA vaccines Pfizer and Moderna.
With vaccines outstripping demand in Romania, Iohannis’s government last month began asking manufacturers to suspend some planned deliveries and announced its intention to donate, sell its surplus.
The Taoiseach said this afternoon that the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has been asked for advice in relation to vaccinating children, “particularly children with underlying conditions”.
He told reporters today that he understands “it’s very worrying for the families and it’s something I hope that we can get advice back on quickly, to get moving on”.
He said that various clinical trials in relation to vaccinating children have already happened, noting that in the US, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has given approval in some respects.
Martin said: “Europe is preparing for the vaccination overall of children for next year. But for children with underlying conditions, it’s more immediate and urgent.”
Earlier it was announced that people aged 18 to 34 could receive their coronavirus vaccine up to two months early under an accelerated programme announced by the Minister for Health.
It follows updated advice from NIAC that the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (also known as Janssen) vaccines can be given to people under 40.
People aged 18 to 34 can now “opt in” for one of those jabs, or choose to wait for an mRNA vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna.
The opt-in system will run in parallel with the online registration portal, which will open for the 30 to 34-year-old age cohort next Friday.
💉Almost 4 and a quarter million doses administered
— Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) July 2, 2021
💉Record day on Wednesday + ~65k
💉Two in three adults with at least one dose
💉Heading for half of adults with full vaccination
💉Accelerated programme for 18-34 announced today
Well done to all involved. 👏 pic.twitter.com/ddrjrMU1dZ
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly told the Dáil that “a significant acceleration of the vaccine programme” will begin from Monday.
He said: “In short, the changes that we’re implementing from Monday will mean that the 18 to 34-year-old age group will have the option of being vaccinated one to two months early.
And that would have been really, really welcome regardless of the Delta variant and this surge, but particularly in light of the modelling we saw from Professor Nolan’s team as to what is likely to happen here through August and September in particular.
“To be able to pull forward a huge number of people from September to August, and some from August into July, is incredibly valuable.
“It’s really going to help us protecting each other and protect our population from the Delta surge that we know is coming.”
The 14-day incidence of #COVID19 is now 101/100,000. The Delta variant is more transmissible but the basic measures are still effective against it; use a mask when appropriate, isolate & get a test if any concerns, manage your contacts & get vaccinated when it is offered to you. pic.twitter.com/dVlcwXGuXQ
— Dr Ronan Glynn (@ronan_glynn) July 1, 2021
It comes after chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned a fourth wave of Covid-19, driven by the Delta variant, cannot be stopped, and will lead to higher levels of hospital admissions and death.
The accelerated vaccine rollout will fail to halt an exponential rise in cases in July and August, he said, but should help bring the situation under control in September.
Donnelly said: “Supplies of Janssen (J&J) and AstraZeneca will be somewhat limited during July, but we expect that supplies will be able to accommodate a significant number of this age group through July.”
He said up to 210,000 J&J vaccines will be available in July.
Another 100,000 AstraZeneca jabs will be available, after the outstanding second doses have been administered.
“The company is committed to providing significantly higher amounts than that,” Donnelly added.
Donnelly said the estimate for people aged 25 to 29 to get their first dose, should they wait for mRNA, would be early August, with people aged 18 to 24 waiting until mid-August.
That means it would be early to mid-September before they get their second dose and are fully vaccinated.
The accelerated rollout is take to place in pharmacies and vaccination centres across the country.
Donnelly said: “People will be able to seek an appointment in one of over 700 pharmacies across the country for a Janssen vaccine, subject to supply.
“The following week, the week of the 12th of July, 18 to 34-year-olds will also be able to register on the HSE portal for an appointment in a vaccine centre for an earlier vaccination.
“In the main that will be AstraZeneca, and there will be some Janssen supply available as well. The point is, they’ll then be vaccinated earlier than if they waited for the mRNA vaccine.”
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Says Labour now ..happy to keep quiet when they were voting all these policies in . There was no moral compass then .
It was Frankfurt’s way.
@Paul Garvey: In government they become the Hulk, outside of it they are Dr. Jekyll…
@Paul Garvey: Have to have a bit of perspective, we were at serious risk of default and every single penny of peoples savings in every bank dissappearing. They didn’t do great but they tried.
Liebour hanging out all the dirty laundry from their betrayal of their core vote during their trough seeking time with the blueshirts…
Jobspath was nothing but a scourge on society.forcing people onto schemes that everybody knew was a dead end,all to massage the figures and make it look like austerity was working here
@dick dastardly: All austerity does is kills the foundation for jobs, what austerity does is destroys jobs, destroys manufacturing and destroys the movement of money… Those so called EXPERTS should have known that?
Labour? Do we have a labour party?
@Shelly Levine: not for the next 50 years we won’t.
@Shelly Levine: lol.
The labour party rammed it through and listened to no one,they treated people like animals and no try to blame someone else,never forgive them.
@@mdmak33: I would think that the IMF had a hand in this by selecting the companies for the Job Path scheme. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did?
Job path where they make you lie on yr cv. Very profitable for some private co.
@Dave Barrett: Seetec refer to it as “tailoring” your CV to suit the job that’s applied for.
@Michael Lynch: thats so that they get paid for every one that comes through their doors. Crooked feckers.
@Dave Barrett: If you couldn’t get a job they blamed you for that as it was never their fault. And they were never happy for people to job search at HOME, it drove them crazy…
A bit late to cry wolf – Labour screwed the workers when in power with FG and enriched their Union buddies with cushy earners on state boards
@Martin Brennan: Better to ask for forgiveness than for permission?
Everyone else’s fault
@Dan public: Fine Gael parody bot.
Labour made me buy an expensive phone
@Barry O Toole: ?? Explain.
@Patricia Mcnamara: iPhone joan…
@tommytukamomo: oh thanks
@Patricia Mcnamara: labour trying to blame everybody else for the decisions they made in govt patricia
@Barry O Toole: If you can buy one for over 600 euros each year then you can pay your water bill, remember that lol.
Labour party became right wing when they agreed to this. Joan backed it to the hilt as did Howlin. Time to take your punishment. Labour are a useless gang of mot and with that clown in Tipp thinking he should be the leader. Remember Irish water
Well, that changes everything….sigh
@Karl Curtin: I feel your pain. Hell what am I saying, Ireland feels your.pain
Labor has become a dirty word.
@Patricia Mcnamara: listening to Velvet Underground – Pale Blue Eyes
…feck them..life is alright…stay happy people!!
I remember being down in Kilarney in 2015 for a league match,And these buckos had their conference in the Glenn Eagles.
The amount of Gardai around the hotel not including all the fences around the hotel you swear it was a G8 summit.
They had a total disregard for the Irish people some of their party members looked on in disgust as we questioned them about the water charges.
Pass the buck. That is labor’s best move.
What a terrible scheme, inflicted by our government, making the long term unemployed who want to work and want to be retrained and educated.
If your life long occupation is construction and there are no relevant jobs available, they push you to apply for low paying, no contract dead end jobs. Retail, customer service, hospitality and cleaning. It is all in their brochure. There are no career development choices, no training, nothing. The tax payer pays for this inadequate service.
€149 million euro !! Honest to Jesus what a f king scam .
@GorillaGrower: with no external evaluation of the service since it started. Fking Blueshirts!
@GorillaGrower: Now €170 Million+ and still growing.
More spinning than a spinner. Labour should be made to hang their heads in shame at what they have been up to and how they can defend it. Then we find that Howling has been lobbying tobacco firms.
Ha. The gov lost the vote to end it. So they’ll partly end it in 12 months time and fully end it in 2021.
Traitors the lot of them,Larkin would be spinning in his grave by now.
Why not just cut the dole after 12 months – job done.
@thephantomshit: so someone say 62 who’s paid tax all their lives and probably is unlikely to get a job so close to retirement should have dole cut, cos thats the popular pile of brown stuff to say online……bravo on that useless and generalized idea
@thephantomshit: Why don’t we just shoot them and feed them to the hungry?
@thephantomshit: Yeah we should bring back the tenements
@thephantomshit: http://web.archive.org/web/20120711071849/http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0607121657-croke-parkto-host-asia-pacific-ireland-business-forum/
“The forum has since paid special attention on informing Irish businesses about opportunities in Asia.” Buy buy Irish jobs…
https://web.archive.org/web/20170705024837/https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/speeches/speeches-archive/2015/july/min-urges-businesses-to-seek-asia-opportunities/
“At the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxemburg of the 22nd of June last, we discussed relations between the EU and Asia, considering issues such as how to enhance connectivity and trade. Connectivity is, I believe, key to the next stage of development in the Asian region.” Send Irish jobs to Asia.
Then wonder why there is unemployment here???
What a load of absolute and utter b***ox coming from that political reject.
He and his fellow swine were happy enough to join the snouts at trough.
The only way labour will ever have a scrap of credibility will be when political freeloaders like this clown are extinct.
The Trokia never dictated policy on any issue. Be it how austerity was to be achieved or this Jobpath. The Trokia told the government the bottom line that was to be achieved, nothing else. It was entirely up to the government how that bottom line was to be achieved. They choose where to apply the measures, made the policies, blaming the Trokia was lies. But that’s what FG, FF and Liebour do best.
@Dave Doyle:
For the record, the troika incorporated job activation measures in the “Memorandum of Understanding” that was agreed and signed by a previous Fianna Fail and Green party. It’s there in the text for all to see.
However, when FG and Labour got in (especially them), they took that ‘ball’ and run amock with it. They made it far worse, turned a blind eye to victims, aided breaking of national and international laws by action, inaction, convenient timely deafness or silence.
Labour and every party that each hand their hand in this whole abusive scandal, should be ashamed. The majority of the people of Ireland in fact, have not heard the full scale of the antics that has gone (and continues to as of date, it’s still in operation).
JobPath is a national inquiry in the making – right now.
The Troika told Labour to set up Jobpath! This narrative borders more and more on the fantastic. Reich IV would never micro manage a sovereign state. Would they?
Pressure from the Troika did not make them sort out the Legal profession
If forced to do it why with such gusto?
Work for welfare, welfare for work needs to be the policy & practice for long term unemployment for persons who cannot be recruited, or are not engaged, in the normal employment market, whether by lack of education, skills, or inclination.
There are plenty of public works needing improved attention, which would both improve the environment, & maintain a work ethic & discipline in those left outside the normal wage earning economy. Even 20 hours per week & e15 ph , plus dependants allowances, would also be better than basic dole, diminish the scourge of idleness, & build up self respect.
@William Kelly: They have that already, CE schemes. Nothing at all wrong with them, got me out of a rut before.
@William Kelly:
There is a Community Employment Scheme in every Parish in Ireland for the last 30 years. Voluntary Organizations sponsor these schemes and they provide work experience for people to give them a start and they also provide training. Sponsors included Tidy Towns , Gaa, and Soccer Clubs, Community Crèches and Day Care Centre’s for Elderly, County Councils, Residents Associations, Services for the Disabled, etc. In fact they are carrying out do much valuable that a lot of the jobs that people are doing on Schemes should be converted into permanent jobs.
@Aine O Connor:
So much valuable work.
Labour have a hard bloody neck.
They said nothing – they did nothing in opposition to the Troika.
Labour, lock, stock and sick barrel, went along with it all.
Hell, even worse – Joan Burton lead the ruddy charge and made it worse!
All in Labour – including useless Drogheda Ged Nash – went along with this too, saying and doing nothing in objection. They all just went along with it all and back their party in doing so, 100%.
They said nothing for 3+ years of attempted suicides, mass bullying, illegal stealing by the state (admitted in the Dublin highcourt), abuse of human rights (found guilty of in the Dublin Highcourts, turned their eye to private company exploiting people for mass €170+ Million gain and possible signature commercial fraud. Labour said NOTHING about all this and more.
Now they are trying to escape blame.
“I was only following orders” Huh?
Labour, go away and close down.
Your party betrayed a nation. History will record this.
Larkin and Connelly are rolling in their grave.
What a crock of complete sh!te.
@Michael Lynch: don’t talk about yourself like.that
170 million now. Still growing.
Lier sumbag party
Get rid of this and bring back Jobbridge
have your say