Update on COVID-19 vaccine deliveries - 17 March 2021

Ireland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme strategy is to distribute all available vaccines as quickly as is operationally possible, prioritising those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19.

The programme is based on the principles of safety, effectiveness and fairness, with the objective of reducing severe illness, hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19 infection.

The following is an update on the total number of vaccines delivered to Ireland:

As of 14 March, 617,050 doses of vaccine have been administered in Ireland.

This week (Week 11), vaccination with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca vaccine has been temporarily suspended. Learn more about this suspension.

The manufacturer of the Moderna vaccine has requested that 50% is held back for second doses. Similarly, an appropriate buffer amount is built up and held back for the other vaccines to ensure availability of second doses for the following week. Currently, about 95% of available vaccines are administered within seven days of arrival in Ireland.