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A Covid-19 outbreak hit a Co Wicklow nursing home in late January, days before residents were due to receive their second dose of vaccine. The outbreak caused the death of several residents.
Aisling House Nursing Home on the outskirts of Arklow said the outbreak started after the first round of vaccines, but declined to reveal how long after the first dose or the number of cases or deaths from the disease.
HSE records show that the first dose of the two-dose Covid-19 vaccine was administered to residents at the nursing home on January 19. The outbreak occurred late last month, the home said.
“The outbreak occurred several days before a second dose of the vaccine and there are plans for the second vaccine to protect against the continuing threat of the virus,” said Jan Ali, the registered provider in charge of the Co Wicklow infirmary. home.
The second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the vaccine that is given to most nursing home residents, is given between 21 and 28 days after the first dose.
The first dose is 52% effective, but protection is not activated until at least 12 days after administration. A second dose provides 95% efficacy one week after administration.
Aisling House, a 31-bed care facility, said most residents had recovered from the virus and all staff had returned from illness and isolation to provide care.
“It has been a very disturbing time for our residents and staff and we are confident that we are coming out of the outbreak and supporting residents and staff in their recovery from the virus and the loss of friends,” said the nursing home.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority, the state’s drug watchdog, said earlier this month that it had received “a small number of reports from elderly patients, who had underlying diseases and died after vaccination.”
These deaths were “carefully reviewed” and, based on the information provided, have not raised concerns regarding the safe use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in this population, the HPRA said.
“Deaths due to underlying disease progression or natural causes can be expected to continue to occur, even after vaccination. However, this does not mean it was caused by the vaccine, “the regulator said in a safety update on vaccines on February 4.
The HPRA said that, as is clear from a vaccine safety review conducted by the European Medicines Agency, in which the Irish regulator participated, all reports of post-vaccination deaths are “carefully evaluated” and the outcome of the review “does not suggest a security concern.”
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said in response to a parliamentary question last week that HPRA tracks reports of suspected adverse reactions received from health workers and the public through a voluntary reporting system. , including any death after vaccination.
As of Monday, 79,339 residents 65 and older along with staff at long-term care facilities had received their first dose of Covid-19, and of those, 29,580 had received their second dose.
The HSE said it plans to administer 11,900 vaccines in long-term care facilities next week, including 8,500 first doses and 3,400 second doses.
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