Some of those impacted by the pause in the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine have said they're 'extremely disappointed' to have their vaccination appointments cancelled at short notice.
Around 30,000 people in Ireland will now have to wait a little longer for their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
It was confirmed yesterday that the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine is being paused here, as European authorities investigate rare reports of blood clots in recently vaccinated people.
Officials here have said it's a purely precautionary move, with AstraZeneca and organisations such as the WHO saying there's no evidence linking the vaccine with an increased risk of blood clots.
Germany has this afternoon become the latest EU country to pause use of the vaccine.
However, some experts - including Professor Luke O'Neill - say the pause will put vulnerable people at risk, amid a lack of evidence linking the jab with clotting.
On Lunchtime Live, Andrea heard from some listeners who've had their vaccine appointments delayed due to the latest development.
Sarah was due to get her first dose in Limerick yesterday, but got a text message letting her know it wasn't going ahead.
She said: “I was very, very disappointed. I’m 31 weeks pregnant at the moment. I was hoping to get at least the first dose before I had the baby.
“We’re hearing news reports about stillbirths and all that kind of stuff, so obviously anxiety is high at the moment.
"It was great news for me to be hearing I was getting the first dose of the vaccine… and then I was extremely disappointed.”
She explained that she can’t get the vaccine after 34 weeks of pregnancy, so she only has 2.5 weeks left to get one.
The news over the weekend has made it unlikely that will now happen.
She said: "What I really want to find out is who I can contact… to see if I can get an alternative vaccine, because I have such a short window now.
“I don’t have time to wait for the AstraZeneca."
Sarah said while she herself doesn't think there's anything wrong with the vaccine, she understands why the pause happened.
However, she said people who were in line for a jab now need alternatives.
'I could have got it last week'
Siobhan, meanwhile, is a pharmacy worker who was due to get vaccinated in Dublin tomorrow morning.
She told Andrea: "All my team were meant to be getting it this week, but they’ve all been cancelled obviously.
“None of my team are vaccinated - we were all [due to get it] this week.
“We all have family, but because of the nature of our business… we’re extra cautious. My parents are elderly - I have a mum in a nursing home, and my dad has a heart condition. I haven’t seen them because of my job - I think the vaccine was giving me that little bit of hope."
For Siobhan, the benefits of the vaccine outweigh any risks, and she's now hoping the situation will be sorted quickly so they can have their vaccinations rearranged as soon as possible.
She said: “I can understand some people are more nervous. But to me I’ve seen people with COVID, and I’ve seen the after effects - they’re not nice.
"I have friends who got [the vaccine] last week - I could have got it last week, and I changed it to tomorrow. I’m raging I did, to be honest with you."
