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Dr. Colm Henry, HSE Clinical Director, has said we have another year of restrictions ahead of us before the number of people vaccinated is enough to protect the general public from Covid-19.
Social distancing and restrictions in some form are likely for the remainder of 2021 at least, until a sufficient number of the population can be vaccinated to grant general or herd immunity, Dr. Henry said.
Speaking to Máirín Ní Ghadhra in Raidió na Gaeltachta, Dr. Henry added that it is now more important than ever for the public to adhere to health guidelines.
“The answer, and not everyone likes it, but the truth is … is that the general public will not have protection against Covid-19 for at least a year … In the meantime, it is more important than ever to comply by public health guidance so we can stop the spread of the virus. “
“Now we are in the middle of the main wave… and we can see the damage that has been done. The vaccine is yet to come, and we will get out of this if we can stick to public health guidelines until everyone has been vaccinated. “
Dr. Henry, responding to criticism about the speed of the vaccine launch, said it would be impossible to go faster.
“We are administering the vaccine as quickly as entering … we are not left with anything, except a very small amount for the second dose, so that the vaccine comes out as quickly as it enters, and that is the truth.”
Responding to a question about schools being allowed to reopen and teachers being given a higher priority, he said that the most important thing was that health workers get the vaccine in the first place.
“It is important that we can offer protection to health workers, not only to protect themselves, but to protect health services, since every day we lose workers who are out because of the virus.”
In relation to the GPs receiving the vaccine, Dr. Henry confirmed that work had begun on this in the south of the country, that some GPs would be included in nursing home plans and that they were also working in a specific plan for GPs.
“We are developing a specific scheme for GPs together with the IMO and ICGP so that the GPS and their teams can receive the vaccine as soon as possible. We are completely dependent on the amount of vaccine we receive from the EU and we cannot go faster than the amount we have and the amount we will receive. “
More than 800 GPs will be vaccinated today in Phoenix Park at a makeshift mass vaccination center.
Online editors
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