“The debacle involving the slow rollout of the Janssen jab to the 50-60 age group cannot be repeated”

“Drogheda is Ireland’s largest town and given the fact that the area has consistently featured among the most adversely impacted parts of the country, the case for locating a community vaccination centre and a full testing centre here is unequivocal.”

So said local deputy Ged Nash last week but it seems the HSE are repeating the debacle of their campaign for first shots with Drogheda people being asked to travel to Dundalk for their booster.

That’s no big deal for people who are in good health and can jump into their own car and be there in half an hour or so, but for many others it is a big challenge.

Deputy Nash has contacted the HSE to demand that Drogheda is provided with a centre to administer the Covid 19 booster jabs.

“It was hard work to persuade the HSE to deploy DIFE as a community vaccination centre for the first phase of vaccination” he said, “the debacle involving the slow rollout of the Janssen jab to the 50-60 age group cannot be repeated.

“The booster jabs are urgent and the HSE says it plans to administer over 250,000 jabs per week with NIAC thankfully looking at narrowing the timeframe between shots. That decision cannot come quickly enough.”

He added; “This will be a case of all hands on deck and the efficient administration of the vaccine will depend on having centres in place in all of the main population centres in the country.”