Covid 19

The Pfizer‐BioNTech mRNA COVID‐19 vaccine, marketed as Comirnaty® was authorised for use in the EU following a positive scientific recommendation by the European Medicines Agency on 21 December 2020.

Why are vaccines important?

Vaccines teach your immune system how to protect you from diseases. It's much safer for your immune system to learn this through vaccination than by catching the diseases and attempting to treat them.

Vaccines can reduce or even eradicate some diseases, if enough people are vaccinated. Since vaccines were introduced, diseases like smallpox and polio that used to kill or disable millions of people are gone from Ireland and reduced a number of other diseases.

The long term response to the pandemic requires a safe and effective vaccine to be available for all who need it. It’s a way to keep friends and family safe, potentially leading to lifting of restrictions.

Will there be enough vaccine available to vaccinate the whole population over time?

The Irish government has placed orders for a number of candidate vaccinations, there is expected to be enough doses to cover the whole Irish population over the coming year.

Who decides who gets the COVID-19 vaccine first?

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), Health Service Executive (HSE) along with other experts from accredited bodies who advise the Government on which vaccine/s Republic of Ireland should use and provide advice on who should be offered the vaccination first.

The latest National Immunisation Office (NIO) guidance has identified the first priority groups to be care home residents and staff, health and social care workers and people aged over 80, who will be offered the vaccine first. It is anticipated that further priority groups based on age and clinical vulnerability factors will be added to those eligible to receive the new COVID-19 vaccinations as supplies increase in 2021.

Which vaccine will I get?

You will be offered a vaccine which has been approved by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) & HSE as safe and effective and recommended by the NIO for persons of your age or risk group.

Is one vaccine better than another?

Each candidate vaccine will have completed a full programme of research, including considerations of vaccine efficacy and safety. Each vaccine will be reviewed by the HPRA which will grant approval and licencing of vaccines if they meet the required