Michael O’Connor, Ireland’s oldest man at 107 years old who survived the Spanish Flu Epidemic and lives to tell the tale, received his Covid-19 vaccine yesterday. Mr O’Connor received his jab from Dr Ken Keohane at the Deenagh Medical Practice in Kerry.
As mentioned, Michael also lived through the terrible Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918. He will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 when he receives his second jab in four weeks time. Literally, a shot in the arm!
The Kerryman had spoken of his excitement of getting the vaccine in January. More here.
There was further good news when it was also confirmed that residents at Craddock House nursing home in Kildare received their second dose of the Covid vaccine yesterday.
Táiniste, Leo Varadkar also said that the Government is expecting to receive 1million vaccines a month in April, June and July.
Government vaccine rollout plan:
This also comes as the Government are set to produce a revamped vaccine rollout plan. Some priority groups are expected to move up the jab queue.
The Department of Health received a report from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, detailing the new vaccine rollout plan.
This report is to be considered by the Department, before being presented to the cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19. A final decision on the rollout plan will then be made.
The issues regarding the Astra-Zeneca jab not being distributed to people over the age of 70 will be among the issues considered by the NIAC. Ireland is to receive 190,000 doses of the jab each month.
It is possible for this report to be presented to cabinet next week along with the Living With Covid plan next Tuesday.
Leader of the Opposition, Mary Lou McDonald has also urged the Govermnet to move family carers further up the queue for the jab.
The Sinn Féin leader described these carers as the “forgotten frontline” in this pandemic. She added that in contrast, they are prioritised for the vaccine in the UK.
Lou McDonald said, “I held a meeting with hundreds of them last week, and they told me that the prospect of the vaccine is the light at the end of a very, very dark tunnel”.
She also called family carers having to wait for the vaccine as a “punch in the stomach”.
The Sinn Féin leader also said, “They feel their lives and the clear risks that they face don’t matter”.
“Game changer”
This all comes after, Taoiseach Micheál Martin called the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine as a “game changer”.
If approved, the EU could receive 200 million doses of the latest vaccine, with Ireland possibly getting 2 million.
On this vaccine, Mr Martin said, “Many people will have been vaccinated by the end of the summer and there is no doubt they will have a different life because of that”.
