350,000 vaccines delivered in region

ALMOST 350,000 vaccines against Covid-19 have been delivered by the UL Hospitals’ Group vaccination programme, according to official figures.
In the week to close of business on Sunday, September 5, a total of 5,638 doses of Covid-19 vaccines were administered across the Mid-West Vaccination Centres at Limerick Racecourse, the West County Hotel, Ennis, and the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh.
This brings to 346,936 the total vaccines administered under the UL Hospitals’ Group vaccination programme since it began on January 4, and includes healthcare workers, residents and staff of nursing homes, and patients in the various cohorts and age groups.
The total to date also includes 13,205 vaccines that have been administered to 12-15-year-olds.
However, this total does not include the vaccination work undertaken by colleagues in HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare, the National Ambulance Service, General Practitioners and pharmacists.
Last week’s regional total for the UL Hospitals’ Group programme was composed of 2,609 vaccines administered in Limerick Racecourse; 1,648 in the West County, Ennis; and 1,381 in the Abbey Court, Nenagh.
As part of the national effort to maximise vaccine uptake, there will be walk-in clinics at the Mid-West Vaccination Centres this weekend as follows, for adults and children aged 12 and over.
These clinics are also for those people who have received an AstraZeneca Dose 1, who, as per national guidance, can receive a Dose 2 of Pfizer vaccine.
People can receive a Pfizer Dose 1 and 2 and Moderna Dose 2 at Limerick Racecourse on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm.
These vaccines will also be available in Treacy’s West County Ennis and the Abbey Court, Nenagh on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm.
Anyone attending for second doses of Pfizer or Moderna should bring their vaccine record card with them, and note the following: for the Pfizer vaccine, a minimum of 21 days must have passed after Dose 1 before Dose 2 is administered.
The second dose of Moderna must be administered at least 28 days after Dose 1.
Those who wish to attend the clinics do not require an appointment, and do not need to register in advance on the national vaccine registration portal.
Please note that children under 16 years must be accompanied to the centre by a parent or guardian.
Meanwhile, due to high volumes of people attending for Covid-19 testing, a decision has been taken to suspend walk-in tests at the Ennis Test Centre.
Testing is still available at the Covid-19 Test Centre in Ballymaley Business Park, but only by appointment. Tests can be booked via the HSE website, or through your GP. The centre’s opening hours of 11:10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. are unaffected.
The changes took effect from Tuesday, September 7 and will be kept under review.
There has been an increased demand for testing over recent weeks, and the past few days have been very busy in Ennis with over 2,000 tests conducted in the last week alone.

by Dan Danaher