An additional 15,000 monkeypox vaccines were purchased to support Ireland’s ongoing vaccination programme.
The health minister said the state, through the HSE, “reached a deal with Bavarian Nordic for the supply of 15,000 monkeypox vaccines,” reported RTE.
Stephen Donnelly also said the acquisition provides a significant boost to the currently ongoing immunization program amid a global shortage of vaccine supplies.
This year 5,000 vaccines will be delivered and the remaining 10,000 doses are expected to be delivered next year.
There have been 200 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Ireland since May, and the HSE estimates that between 6,000 and 13,000 high-risk people may benefit from primary prevention vaccination.
HSE is vaccinating through designated centres across the country.
The recently approved intradermal vaccination method allows more doses to be extracted from a single vial of vaccine, meaning the vaccine is offered to more people than originally intended.
The Health Department said demand for the vaccine has been high and all currently available appointments for the vaccine have been booked, but a significant number of additional appointments will open for booking next month.
According to RTE, Minister Donnelly encouraged people who have not had the opportunity to “to book an appointment in the coming weeks when they become available”.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.