Second round vaccinations are getting underway today at St Luke’s Hospital.
Staff that have already been given their first jab at the general Hospital for Carlow and Kilkenny will be getting their second shot over the next few days.
However about half of all staff at the local hospital have not yet had their first injection and they are still facing a wait of several weeks before they get it because the HSE has directed that all second doses have to be administered before they move on to the next cohort.
Just 6,000 people a day were vaccinated between Monday and Wednesday of this week amid concerns over vaccine supplies.
The HSE has confirmed 161,500 people have been given a vaccination to date – up from 143,000 after on Sunday.
The Health Minister has also said he doesn’t know how many doses Ireland will be getting from AstraZeneca after mid-March.
Meanwhile, Germany is recommending the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine should only be given to those aged under 65.
Its vaccine committee is citing a lack of sufficient data to recommend use in older age groups.
Reuters news agency is reporting the committee says it should only be offered to people aged 18 to 64.
The EMA is expected to make a decision tomorrow on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the EU
