The government should publish a booklet with information about the COVID-19 vaccine programme and planned rollout to ensure people are informed a Galway City Councillor says.
Councillor Alan Cheevers said that HSE West should publish such and information booklet for “vulnerable and elderly” people who may not have access to technology to understand where, when, and how they can get the vaccine.
There are at least two vaccines for COVID-19 which are expected to begin rolling out in early 2021 in Ireland, subject to approval by the European Medicines Agency.
The government has agreed on provisional plans for the allocation of the initial vaccine doses when they become available, based on the vulnerability of certain groups, and the essential employment of others.
The provisional rollout order approved by the Cabinet is:
| 1 | People aged 65 years and older who are residents of long-term care facilities (likely to include all staff and residents on site) |
| 2 | Frontline healthcare workers |
| 3 | People aged 70 and older |
| 4 | Other healthcare workers not in direct patient contact |
| 5 | People aged 65-69 |
| 6 | Key workers |
| 7 | People aged 18-64 with certain medical conditions |
| 8 | Residents of long-term care facilities aged 18-64 |
| 9 | People aged 18-64 living or working in crowded settings |
| 10 | Key workers in essential jobs who cannot avoid a high risk of exposure |
| 11 | People working in education sector |
| 12 | People aged 55-64 |
| 13 | Other workers in occupations important to the functioning of society |
| 14 | Other people aged 18-54 |
| 15 | People aged under 18 and pregnant women |
Before the wider rollout of the vaccine in the new year, HSE West should prepare and distribute a booklet with guidelines and key information for people to understand when it will be available to them, and if it can be got through their local GP, pharmacy,
