The chair of the Irish Medical Organisation’s GP committee, Dr Denis McCauley, has cautioned that if there is to be a change to using the AstraZeneca vaccine for the over-70s it will have to be well thought out, well planned with guaranteed deliveries.
Speaking on RTE radio’s News at One Dr McCauley said that supply remained the number one constraint to the vaccine roll out which was proceeding to the over-80s despite a 15 percent drop in supplies.
Dr McCauley said that 98 percent of the vaccine supplies had arrived, but the problem was the short notice which had left GPs with the challenge of calling in a vulnerable cohort at short notice for their vaccine.
At present AstraZeneca was more important for healthcare workers and the under-70s, he said.
The system using Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for the over-85s had gone well, he said. “We know what we’re doing now. Any change would need to be well thought out.”
Confidence had only just been achieved for the current system and this should not be threatened in any way, he warned.
