A considerable setback for the vaccine programme.
Ireland is due to receive 300,000 fewer doses of AstraZeneca vaccine due to shortfall in the EU.
600,000 doses of the vaccine were expected to be delivered to Ireland by the end of March, but the Department of Health has been informed that the delivery will now likely amount to about half.
RTÉ News reports that Ireland was due to receive the vaccines through a deal between AstraZeneca and the European Union. Sources have said that negotiations are still ongoing, and that the final figure delivered to Ireland could change.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly was asked yesterday exactly how many doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine Ireland was expected to receive. The government's aim to have 700,00 people vaccinated by the end of March largely depends on this delivery.
Donnelly said this week that the government never promised to have the entire population vaccinated by September, but that this is his "aspiration."
Speaking about the vaccination rollout, Donnelly said his recent announcement on the rollout of vaccines "wasn't a promise" as it was "heavily caveated", he added:
"I said September, September is absolutely still the aspiration. It's not a promise. We can't promise for all of those reasons because it's a projection based partly on vaccinations that haven't even been applied for authorisation and on delivery schedules that still have to be fully agreed."
Donnelly then went on to say that: "If the vaccines come through that we have advanced purchases for, they're authorised and if they come in on schedule, then it is reasonable to think that by September every adult could be vaccinated, but with all of those very serious caveats."
The Health Minister said that the plans remains to focus on Level 5 lockdown restrictions before "ramping up" the vaccination programme.
Level 5 restrictions are expected to stay in place until at least March 5.
