Tomas Doherty
People aged 49 can now register for a Covid-19 vaccine.
Registration is open to people aged between 45 and 49 from this week.
Those aged 48 will be able to book an appointment from Thursday, and it will continue through the ages on each subsequent day.
People can register for their jab by going to vaccine.hse.ie or calling 1850 24 1850.
Registration is now open for people aged 49 for their #COVIDVaccine. The quickest & easiest way to register is online. You'll need:
✔️PPSN
✔️Eircode
✔️Mobile number
✔️Email address
Register: https://t.co/5CbJwmbPUj #ForUsAll pic.twitter.com/WYhn4a86Ow— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) May 19, 2021
It is expected that people in this age group will initially be offered a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
However, one possibility under discussion by the HSE is that people aged 40 to 49 could choose whether to accept one of the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccines if Moderna or Pfizer are unavailable.
At present, the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (also known as Janssen) jabs are not being given to those under the age of 50 due to concerns over a rare blood clotting issue.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Health said more than 40 per cent of adults have received their first dose of the vaccine.
Stephen Donnelly said on Wednesday that in excess of 2.1 million doses have been administered in the State so far.
He told Virgin Media News: “I can confirm that over the last two or three days we have now got in excess of 40 per cent of the entire adult population who have had at least a first dose.
“That’s two out of every five adults in the country. It’s good news, particularly when we’re dealing with such awful stuff in terms of this criminal activity.
“It’s fantastic to see a vaccine programme that’s going from strength to strength.”
All #COVID19 test centres are currently facilitating walk-in testing. Anyone, of any age, who needs a COVID-19 test can get a test without an appointment. Those with symptoms and close contacts should go to one of these centres for their test. More here: https://t.co/0viTglu0qO pic.twitter.com/g5iMuQVC2F
— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) May 18, 2021
Wednesday saw 358 additional confirmed cases of Covid-19 according to the Department of Health.
There are 102 people with the virus being treated in hospitals, of which 39 are in intensive care units.
The department, still dealing with the fallout from a cyberattack, said the daily cases may change due to future validation.
Despite the attack, coronavirus tests are still available to those who need them.
The HSE said on Twitter: “All Covid-19 test centres are currently facilitating walk-in testing.
“Anyone, of any age, who needs a Covid-19 test can get a test without an appointment. Those with symptoms and close contacts should go to one of these centres for their test.”
