The infectious disease specialist Professor Sam McConkey has said that it makes the most sense to use the first Covid-19 vaccines for the elderly and for those living in residential care homes as they are at the highest risk of disease and death from the virus.
He said that future vaccines will have different strengths, including those that prevent transmission of the virus and when these become available it may be necessary to adapt the vaccine priorities.
This would give protection to those visiting and working in nursing homes and hospitals, he told the Today with Claire Byrne programme.
Prof McConkey said that the return to Level 3 in early December is starting to impact on case numbers and that in 23 out of 26 counties the numbers of Covid-19 cases are rising.
He said that is a problem and cases will continue to rise unless behaviour is changed and it points to further restrictions in January.
He said “it is best to crush the curve down low and keep it down”. Prof McConkey said that rising rates of virus in London and Essex in the UK are concerning.
“I see it likely maybe not every county but most counties in January will be back in some restrictions, if we can get numbers down low then we can keep them down, but when the number of cases is high it's impossible really with testing and tracing to keep it down."
He said that people living in Essex and London are more at risk of being at pre-infection stage and should think about not travelling to Ireland from those areas this month.
Travel
Prof McConkey said anyone travelling should self-isolate for two weeks before travelling. He said that the English were slow to react and everyone is anxious the cases will become overwhelming and cause catastrophic number of deaths, as being seen in Germany and the US.
Dr Amy Morgan, a GP based in Drogheda, says GPs haven't received a lot of communication about their role in the administration of the Covid 19 vaccination.
She told Claire Byrne that it is very important that GPs are part of the programme because they have been front and centre in the management of the pandemic and that people are familiar with receiving vaccinations from their GP practices.
She said that people are genuinely curious about the vaccine and this illustrates the importance of communication to deliver the information to the general public. Dr Morgan said that people will naturally have questions about the vaccine, how it will work and impact on their lives and it is important that there is a clear communication strategy.
Pfizer vaccine
She said the Pfizer vaccine, which is delivered in two doses, will be a logistical challenge but that general practice has shown how nimble and adaptable it is throughout the pandemic.
In addition, she said, GPs have the data to identify those who are eligible for vaccinations and those who are high risk and are already familiar with calling patients back, sending out text reminders and utilising all the technology at their disposal.
