One quarter of the adult population has now been fully vaccinated.
The Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has confirmed that 900,000 people have received two jabs.
Meanwhile, the total number of doses administered around the country now stands at 2.9 million.
It means that two million people in Ireland have received at least one dose – more than half the adult population.
Now almost 2.9M vaccines administered. Over 2M of the adult population (53%) have received a dose 1 and approx 900K (25%) a Dose 2. The programme continues at pace in Vaccination Centres & with GPs. Continued and strong benefits occuring. @hselive @ICGPnews @IMO_IRL
— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) June 3, 2021
It comes amid optimism that new Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) advice will significantly speed up the vaccine rollout.
A HIQA report on COVID-19 immunity found that people who have had the virus can be presumed to be immune from re-infection for nine months as opposed to six.
It means people under the age of 50 who have had the virus in the last nine months may only need one dose of a vaccine.
HIQA Dr Máirín Ryan said the country’s vaccine supply should stretch further as a result.
“So, people have natural immunity from having experienced COVID-19 and then they get a boost with one dose of the vaccine and are then considered to be fully vaccinated – so they only require one dose,” she said.
“Now, by extending the period of immunity from six to nine months, that means there are greater numbers of people who are in that bracket who will only require one dose of the vaccine – so the quantities of the vaccine we have will stretch further.”
Meanwhile, the HSE is considering reducing the weeks between doses of the AstraZeneca jab from 12 to eight.
It means thousands of people may have a shorter wait for their second jab.
At the HSE briefing this afternoon, Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry said the findings will impact more than just the rollout.
“It will have implications for how countries proceed on a multi-annual vaccination programme is that is what is ever required for COVID,” he said.
“Because what is really of huge interest to us all is how long does immunity last and how measurable is it and what does this mean for the vaccine you receive?
“So, this news, this evidence and this advice from HIQA goes way beyond the immediate impact on the vaccination programme.”
The HIQA report looked at over 600 thousand people who had been re-infected with
