IRELAND HAS official administered 500,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses.
The Health Service Executive has confirmed to Taoiseach Micheál Martin that the milestone figure for inoculations was reached this afternoon.
Martin welcomed the confirmation as “good news” for Ireland despite the slow rollout of vaccines across the country.
By way of comparison, the UK has administered 20 million vaccine doses.
Despite the slow start, the Taoiseach highlighted the fact that hospitalisations were also reducing all the time in line with the vaccination programme.
Martin tweeted: “Just been informed by the HSE that we have passed the half a million mark of #CovidVaccine doses administered.
“Good news. The vaccines are having a significant impact on mortality and serious illness.
“The number of COVID patients in hospitals and ICU is reducing all the time.”
According to figures provided by the CEO of the HSE Paul Reid, the number of people with Covid-19 being treated in ICU has dropped below 100.
(Photo by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)The total number of COVID-19 cases has also dropped to 401 down 13 down from the previous day.
The Department of Health now estimates 3% of the population of Ireland has been fully vaccinated with 6% receiving at least one dose.
Ireland looks set to further ramp up its vaccination efforts next week with 84,000 doses set to be given out including 26,000 for frontline healthcare workers, 37,000 to over 70s, 10,000 to those with underlying medical conditions and 1,500 to long-term care facilities.
By the end of March, Ireland is also in line to receive an additional 170,000 vaccine does from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca.
See More: Coronavirus, Covid-19, Vaccination, Vaccine
