IRELAND is on the cusp of deploying two Covid-19 vaccines, according to deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn.
He said that the roll-out will mark a "significant" advance in the country's fight against coronavirus, but only as long as the public is willing to accept the vaccine.
Reports indicate that around three-quarters of people in Ireland believe they are likely to take the vaccine when it becomes available, but Dr Glynn insisted that this figure needed to be higher, and encouraged anyone with doubts about the safety of the vaccines to contact their GP.
"People should take great encouragement from these developments and we can be confident that the successful implementation of this programme will mark a significant advance in our approach to this pandemic," he said.
"However, there are still many uncertainties and barriers to overcome.
Dr Ronan Glynn"Our research tells us that the majority have already decided that they will definitely (45%) or probably (28%) take the vaccine when it is offered to them," he added.
"I encourage every individual, those vaccine hesitant as well as those vaccine confident, to stay informed using appropriate medical sources and do not be afraid to ask your GP questions about vaccine safety."
Ireland can only roll out a vaccine once it has been clinically approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
The UK became the first country in the world to clinically approve a vaccine, and last week began administering it to patients around the country.
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