The Saolta University Health Care Group, which incorporates Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe, recently launched an in-depth look back report on the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.
The 80-page report details the challenges, progress and successes of the programme, from rapidly setting up vaccination centres and satellite centres, ensuring a constant vaccine supply chain and reacting to peaks and sudden troughs of demand including vaccinating a peak of 42,000 people per week at the height of the programme.
Ireland’s vaccination programme began on December 29 2020 with the initial rollout focusing on healthcare workers in frontline services and the 65 and older cohort in long term residential care facilities.
In rolling out the vaccination programme, an integrated Steering Group was rapidly established, with membership from Saolta, Community Healthcare West, Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo, HSE Emergency Planning, HSE Estates, Public Health and the National Ambulance Service (NAS ). The Steering Group would go on to meet weekly or fortnightly until the point of transfer in May 2022.
The programme, which consisted of over 650 staff at its peak, was to oversee the vaccination of people from the age of five upwards in the Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs ), but also in their homes (where housebound ), residential care facilities, prisons, acute and community settings, and third level institutions. It worked with partner health organisations, voluntary and other agencies.
Responsibility for the regional vaccination programme was transferred from Saolta to HSE Community Healthcare organisations in May 2022. At the point of transfer, the Saolta-governed programme had administered 750,000 vaccinations, of which 703,000 had been given in the CVCs. Staff worked around the clock to provide a safe and quality service of which everybody involved should be proud.
“From the very start of the Covid-19 vaccination programme we set ourselves two aims. The first was to ensure that no vaccine was wasted. The second was to ensure that the pace at which we delivered the vaccine would only be limited by the availability of the vaccine itself. Despite all of the challenges and setbacks along the way, we consistently achieved both of these aims,” Tony Canavan, CEO of the Saolta Group, stated.
He described the report as a timely reminder of the need to stay up to date with vaccines.
“It is a testament to the success of the vaccination programme that life has returned to normal, however, I urge you all not be become complacent. We can do our part to protect against any future surge in Covid-19 or influenza by staying up to date with our vaccines. This report is a timely reminder than vaccines make a difference,” he added.
Paul Hooton, Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery and Vaccination Programme Lead for the Saolta Group also praised the report.
“I was the Vaccination Lead for the Regional Vaccination Programme in the West and Northwest during 2022-2023. I witnessed incredible efforts, by both staff and members of the public, to engage with the programme and to contribute to Ireland’s uptake rate of circa, 96% of the population receiving full primary vaccination. Covid-19 touched the lives of everyone globally. It’s easy to forget the enormous impact it had on all people from all walks of life.
“I continue to be incredibly proud of the work carried out by all of those involved - the HSE staff, the National Ambulance Service, Defence Forces, Local Authorities, Civil Defence, An Garda Síochána, the Fire Service, voluntary supports and many others,” Mr Hootom concluded.
