A Donegal GP is encouraging his patients to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Northern Ireland if they're eligible for it.
Like many other GP clinics around the country, the Millbrae Surgery in Carndonagh (one of the small towns on the Inishowen Peninsula) has been hit with delays to expected vaccine deliveries.
They had been expecting a batch of COVID-19 vaccines to arrive this week - vaccines which were to be used to vaccinate those aged between 80-85 and those aged over 70 with underlying conditions.
However, the HSE informed the surgery earlier this week that they will now not be receiving any further vaccines until the end of this month.
Some of the locals waiting for their vaccines say they're now 'fed up' and frustrated with the delays.
Northern Ireland, on the other hand, is significantly ahead of the Republic in their own vaccination programme.
Many Donegal locals work across the border, and therefore may have access to NHS services.
Millbrae Surgery's Dr Seamus Kelly told The Pat Kenny Show's Barry Whyte his patients should absolutely consider getting a vaccine in the North if they can.
He said: “Derry is 20 minutes south of us - some of our patients are actually entitled to the vaccine in the North. We’ve encouraged them to do that.
“In Derry, patients over the age of 50 with underlying health conditions are getting vaccinated at present.
"At the moment we still have patients aged 80-84, waiting on a vaccine, and we don’t know for certain when and how many vaccine doses we will receive.
“The important thing is that patients get vaccinated - whether it’s in Derry or in the Republic, as long as they get vaccinated."
Dr Kelly said they've tried everything to get vaccines on time, while their local representatives have also pushed to ensure supplies arrive on schedule.
The GP said his own patients have been 'disadvantaged' due to the delays, and in some cases will be four weeks behind patients elsewhere in the country when it comes to getting their jabs.
Nonetheless, Dr Kelly doesn't blame the Government for the delays - saying a lot of the issues are "totally out of their control".
Local Fianna Fáil councillor Martin McDermott, however, believes the Government needs to stop giving such exact dates and timelines for the vaccine rollout.
He said it's "very disappointing" for people when those promises have to be rolled back, and it's important to not be giving people false hope.
