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Universities could be used as hubs for the launch of the coronavirus jab
The HSE is considering up to 15 mass vaccination centers for the launch of the coronavirus vaccine.
The government’s high-level working group on Covid-19 vaccination has been in discussions with several third-level institutions about the use of their facilities for implementation.
The chair of the task force, Professor Brian MacCraith, told the Oireachtas health committee that the challenge of implementing the vaccine is “unmatched here and around the world.”
Speaking on Wednesday, Professor MacCraith said: “At least 15 of these mass vaccination centers are being considered by the team at the HSE at this time.
“The exact details of the number of personnel that the vaccination center will require are still being worked out at this time.”
He said he had had discussions with Wicklow IT, NUI Galway, the University of Limerick and University College Cork about the use of their facilities for vaccines.
He added: “All four institutions, in terms of areas like their main stadiums and sports centers, were very positive in their initial response.
“These conversations and dialogues will take place in the coming weeks, at a very good time, before it is really necessary to establish mass vaccination centers. But there is great positivity around these.”
Professor MacCraith said it would be difficult to give a timeline for how many people will be vaccinated at different stages in the next year.
However, up to 5,000 doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine are expected to arrive in Ireland before the end of the month.
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