World News – UK – Taoiseach on « return to normal » as he gives Covid-19 vaccine update

Mr Martin warned that people need to protect themselves from the virus and reduce contact with other people

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Taoiseach Micheal Martin has announced that the introduction of the Covid-19 vaccine will require a « joint effort ».

Cabinet will meet on Tuesday to sign the vaccination strategy, which will be released later that afternoon. According to the plan up to 14. 3 million doses of the vaccine could be purchased for over € 112 million and will be made available to the public free of charge.

The proposals Health Secretary Stephen Donnelly is putting to Cabinet will vaccinate the most vulnerable people in society, those with underlying diseases or those over 65 years of age, first.

The Taoiseach said today that the rollout schedule will depend on the manufacturing capacity of pharmaceutical companies as well as approval from the European Medicines Agency.

He said, “I think it all depends on the manufacturing capacity in the different companies and when the vaccines are approved.

“We know Pfizer-BioNTech will be authorized by the end of the year. “Moderna, the next vaccine, will come around the 12th. January. “Then we have another four to five candidates who have been signed by the European Union and whose vaccines are put into operation in various places.

« This is subject to various companies’ manufacturing schedules and the schedule for approval of each vaccine. “We have a plan now, we have a plan for implementation.

“It will now be a collective national effort to introduce the vaccination program as a very important additional tool to deal with Covid-19 and get people’s lives back to normal in 2021. ”

However, Mr Martin warned that people need to protect themselves from the virus and reduce contact with other people if they want to visit relatives for Christmas.

« I think we all have to take care of ourselves, we all have to act like we have the virus and we don’t want to pass it on to others. « .

“Especially if we want to meet loved ones at Christmas, it is important that our behavior by Christmas reflects this.

“Every contact counts. Therefore, keep your contacts to the minimum so that you can protect those who are closest to you. ”

Vaccine, Micheál Martin, Taoiseach, Ireland, Moderna