It would be much easier to use the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for those aged over 70 in remote areas, two GPs based in the west of Ireland have said.
Dr Peter Sloane, who has a practice in Carraroe, Co Galway told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show that he had a number of housebound patients for whom it would be “a major undertaking” to get to a vaccination centre.
“It would make sense to give AstraZeneca to the housebound,” he said. “For those people any vaccine would be better than none.”
The doctor's comments come after Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that people aged over 70 will be offered the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines rather than AstraZeneca's, following recommendation from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee.
It is planned that they will be vaccinated at large GP surgeries, primary care centres and dedicated vaccination facilities from mid-February, to allow for easier mass storage of the Pfizer and Moderna jabs, which require ultra-cold specialised storage.
Aran Islands
On the same programme, Inis Mór GP Dr Marian Broderick pointed out that it would be a great hardship for her patients over the age of 70 to get from the island to Galway to a vaccination hub.
“It would be a dreadful ordeal, it wouldn’t make any sense.”
It made practical sense for the vaccine to be brought to the island and for everyone to be vaccinated together, she said. “We expect the HSE to meet the challenge to get the vaccine out to the island for patients.”
Dr Broderick said she had 100 patients over 70, of whom 19 were aged over 85. “We’re determined the vaccine should come to them. Walking around in Galway for the day would not be practical for them, everything is closed.”
For smaller islands it made more sense to vaccinate the entire population at the same time, she said. But the priority should be the older cohort. Dr Broderick said she would also have to have a locum in place to “do the real work” for the day.
“We have to protect the vaccine programme against potential wastage,” she said.
“It would be much easier to use AstraZeneca (on the island), but we will deal with what we’re given.”
Psychological boost
Dr Sloane added that there were logistical issues that would have to be clarified about GP hubs, such as who was going to be responsible for them, who would have the indemnity, would GPs go there together or take it in turns, and who would schedule or organise the appointments.
However, he was ready to do what was necessary for his patients to ensure they were vaccinated as safely as possible, he said. It did not matter if he was inconvenienced.
“I will work with the HSE as my patients are what is most important. We want to get the vaccine to our patients as quickly as possible.
“We need to give people hope. There is a massive psychological boost for people being vaccinated.”
If possible Dr Sloane would like the opportunity to bring the AstraZeneca vaccine to housebound patients. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines presented a practical problem.
