There were queues at walk-in vaccination centres around the country yesterday, on the day when Ireland surpassed the UK in their proportions of the population jabbed.
Last night Micheál Martin tweeted: “Today we edged ahead of our nearest neighbours — a brilliant effort by everyone involved.” He said that 72.4 per cent of adults were now fully vaccinated in Ireland, compared with 72.1 per cent in Britain.
The taoiseach added that it was “great to see the walk-in vaccine clinics up and running — and the positive uptake already”. Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer, also praised young people for “lining up to get vaccinated”, with centres at Swords and Citywest in Dublin and at Clonakilty in Cork being particularly busy.
The HSE clinics, which remain open throughout the weekend, are for those aged over 16 who have yet to receive a first dose of a vaccine. Paul Reid, the chief executive of the HSE, said: “After just seven months of the vaccination programme we’re on the final countdown to protect ourselves and to rebuild.”
About 1,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered at Citywest, with a queue forming outside from early morning as excited teenagers and young adults lined up, with not even a downpour dampening their spirits.
Advertisement
Karn Cliffe, vaccination lead for the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, said: “We had people queuing at six o’clock this morning, and the walk-in clinic started at quarter past eight. There’s a huge buzz.
“We’re doing our bit. Of the entire number of vaccines delivered across the country, Citywest has done 5.5 per cent. It’s absolutely huge and it’s something we’re very proud of.”
Many of the 16 and 17-year-olds who arrived for their first dose were hopeful that vaccination would be the key to unlocking aspects of their lives that had been lost or curtailed under Covid restrictions.
Robyn Christina, 16, said she was looking forward to being able to enjoy safely what she is most passionate about. “I’m a dancer, so I mainly want to get back in the studio,” she said.
Robert Lynch, also 16, from Castleknock, said: “You can do more and see more people, and you can go to different countries with the vaccine passport. We’ve just been going around Ireland at the moment, but I miss the holidays.”
Advertisement
Being able to mix with older age groups was a motivation for Joe Bleahen, a 17-year-old from Glasnevin, who said he was there to “keep my parents and grandparents safe”.
Evie Griffin, a 17-year-old from Cabinteely, said: “I got it because I don’t want to get Covid at all, and it’s not that much hassle. So I may as well if it’s going to help people stop getting sick. It’s definitely worth it.”
Many of those queuing up were dismissive of anti-vaccine sentiment online. “At the start, there were a lot of people sceptical about it and a lot of reports about people getting bad side effects,” Robert Curran, 17, from Celbridge, Kildare, said. “But then, the more people get vaccinated, the more you get to see what it’s like.”
Inside the facility members of the Defence Forces assisted by distributing vaccines on trolleys to booths, stocking them with syringes and other materials, and managing goods in and out.
Other medically qualified army personnel were present to administer vaccines and assess the condition of anyone experiencing side effects.
Advertisement
A further 1,427 cases of coronavirus were confirmed yesterday, with 164 patients in hospital, of which 26 were in intensive care.
