An Taoiseach Micheál Martin today viewed ongoing work to transform part of Cork City Hall into a HSE Covid-19 vaccination centre for the public.
The HSE will establish a number of vaccination centres for the general public across Cork in the coming weeks and months, including this centre at City Hall. It’s important to note that these centres will not become operational until the availability of vaccines increases.
As the operation of large-scale vaccination clinics for the general public is a considerable undertaking, work has started to make sure that the centres will be ready as soon as vaccine supply is available. In Cork and Kerry, the vaccination centres will be established as a joint project between the South/South West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare.
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin today visited the vaccination centre at City Hall and viewed the ongoing preparations to prepare a vaccination centre, including the installation of 30 vaccination booths and a post-vaccination observation area. When fully operational, there will be 30 vaccination booths at City Hall, with the capability to operate seven days a week, delivering up to 2,400 vaccinations a day. We thank Cork City Council for their support in providing the venue.
We are working to finalise a number of other locations for public vaccination centres as quickly as possible and we’d like to thank the bodies involved for working with us on this important programme. Other potential centres are at varying stages of development.
The provision of these vaccination centres is a considerable undertaking, and we would like to sincerely thank all of the staff who are working so hard to make these vital centres a reality in a short space of time. While current vaccine supplies are directed to nursing homes, to healthcare staff and shortly to the over-70s by GPs, the work of our staff means that these vaccination centres will be available to vaccinate large numbers of people as soon as vaccine supplies allow.
The centres in Cork and Kerry will be spread across the region with the aim of ensuring ease of access for as much of the public as possible, while also bearing in mind that each vaccination centre will need to meet many clinical and logistical requirements.
These centres, once operational, will be on an appointment basis. Again, we must stress that they will not be operational until vaccine supply allows for widespread vaccination of the wider population.
Our priority is to ensure that the vaccination roll-out continues to be safe and efficient.
Notes
We do not expect that vaccinations will be administered in these centres in the short-term, as the current priority groups due to receive vaccinations are residents and staff in long-term care facilities, alongside front-line healthcare workers. There are several other priority groups to be vaccinated before we reach the stage of vaccinating the population at large.
Work will begin next week on the vaccination of the over-85s by GPs, who will lead out on the vaccination of the over-70s age-group.
Help support Cork Safety Alerts by becoming a member – Click Here