Update on COVID-19 vaccine deliveries - 25 March 2021

Ireland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme strategy is to distribute all available vaccine 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, up to and including Friday 19 March 2021.

As of Sunday 21 March, 680,015 doses of vaccine have been administered in Ireland.

Vaccination with AstraZeneca was deferred throughout most of Week 11.

Moderna Inc has requested that 50% of its vaccine is held back for second doses. Similarly, an appropriate buffer amount is built up and held back for all 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.