Ireland is set to miss vaccination targets set earlier this year.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that Ireland is in line to receive an additional 46,500 vaccine doses before the end of March.
The European Union announced on Wednesday it had secured an additional four million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for the bloc and will be distributed among members on a pro rata basis.
Pleased this morning to have confirmation from Commission President @vonderleyen that Ireland will secure an additional 46,500 Pfizer BioNTech vaccines before the end of March. When they get here, they will be administered quickly. Efforts ongoing to increase production.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) March 10, 2021
“To tackle aggressive variants of the virus and to improve the situation in hotspots, quick and decisive action is necessary,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
“I’m happy to announce today an agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer, who will offer to Member States to make available a total of four million doses of vaccines before the end of March which will be supplied in addition to the planned dose deliveries.
“This will help Member States in their efforts to keep the spread of new variants under control. Through their targeted use where they are most needed, in particular in border regions, these doses will also help ensure or restore free movement of goods and people. These are key for the functioning of health systems and the Single Market.”
The news comes as Ireland faces increasing criticism for its vaccine rollout as it’s set to miss vaccination targets set earlier this year.
In early January, it was said almost 1.7 million vaccines would be delivered to Ireland in the first quarter but even with this increased allocation from Pfizer/BioNTech, total vaccine deliveries at the end of March are not expected to exceed 900,000 doses.
The slower than expected deliveries of doses from the three currently authorised vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca) is said to be the reason for the delays.
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