THE very first Covid-19 vaccinations in Ireland will take place before New Years, Cabinet has heard.
It's understood that around 10,000 batches of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will arrive just after Christmas, and the first jabs will be able to be administered less than a week after that.
People in the over-65 bracket in care homes as well as front line health care workers will be prioritised and offered the vaccine first.
On Monday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) clinically approved the use of the Pfzier vaccine, meaning that all EU nations were given the green light to begin their vaccination programmes.
The bloc have said they want vaccinations rollouts to begin across all EU countries from December 27, 28 and 29.
All EU countries will be given the same amount of vaccines in the first delivery.
Earlier this month, the likes of the UK and the US began their vaccination programmes, because they didn't have to wait for approval from the EMA.
The vaccine is administered in two jabs, given three weeks apart.
Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE), said last week that it will give out all the initial doses and wait for more supplies to give the second dose out.
The EMA have stressed that there is no evidence the vaccine is any less effective against the new mutant strain of the virus, which has forced the south-east of the UK effectively into lockdown.
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