Vaccination rollout accelerated in Kilkenny as 40-49 age group get choice of jabs

The rollout of Covid-19 vaccine programme is to be accelerated Kilkenny.

It also emerged today that people in 40-49 year old bracket will be given the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, and will only be given the AztraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccine if none of the former are available.

RTÉ this morning reported that strict conditions on the use of the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines in people aged between 40 and 49 will mean people will have a choice to accept them, or wait for an mRNA vaccine, like Pfizer or Moderna.

The Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines will only be permitted to be used if an mRNA vaccine is not available at the time of vaccination.

The development comes as the Health Service Executive (HSE) also confirmed they will use spare capacity at vaccination centres in Kilkenny and the South East to speed up the rollout in the region.

The HSE said in a statement: “As a planned acceleration of the Covid-19 vaccination roll out in the South East, a number of interim arrangements are being put in place to ensure those in various parts of the region get their 1st dose vaccination over the coming week instead of waiting for longer.

“As a result, people in the following areas may be offered appointments for their 1st dose at Covid-19 Vaccination Centres other than the one local to them:

• People aged 50-59 in the R93 postcode in the Carlow and surrounding area may be offered an appointment in the Kilkenny Vaccination Centre.
• People aged 50-59 in the parts of South Co. Kilkenny in the X91 postcode area may be offered an appointment in the Kilkenny Vaccination Centre (i.e. not Waterford).
• People aged 50-59 in the E32 postcode in the Carrick on Suir and surrounding area may be offered an appointment in the Waterford Vaccination Centre.

“Such arrangements will apply in the case of 1st dose of vaccination and may differ for the 2nd, whereby accommodation at one’s nearest centre may be the case.

“All five Vaccination Centres in the South East continue to operate as normal.

“The HSE apologises for any inconvenience caused but this acceleration measure, which is being implemented to ensure timely administration of the C19 vaccine to all those concerned,” the statement concluded.