Covid: HSE set to recommence AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 10 additional deaths related to Covid-19.
Nine deaths occurred in March, 1 date of death remains under investigation.
The median age of those who died was 75 years and the age range was 45 – 88 years.
There has been a total of 4,576 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland.
As of midnight Thursday 18 March, the HPSC was notified of 507 confirmed cases, bringing the total to 229,306*.
There was less than five in Mayo today, leaving the county with a 14-day incidence rate of 87.4 - below the national average of 150.5.
The county's five-day moving average has dropped to two.
Of the other cases notified today:
249 are men and 255 are women.
70% are under 45 years of age..
the median age is 33 years old
216 in Dublin, 40 in Kildare, 29 in Galway, 24 in Offaly, 18 in Tipperary, and the remaining 180 cases are spread across 20 other counties.
As of 8 a.m. today, 336 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, 87 in ICU. There have been 43 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
Latest update on vaccines
As of last Tuesday (March 16), there have been 632,359 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in Ireland:
463,500 people have received their first dose
168,859 people have received their second dose.
Statement by Dr. Ronan Glynn, acting chief medical officer
"On Sunday, 14 March, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommended the temporary deferral of the administration of Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca following a report from the Norwegian Medicines Agency of cases of serious, rare thromboembolic (clotting) events, including some complicated by low platelet counts.
"To date, no reports of serious clotting events associated with low platelets have been received by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in Ireland. Over 117,000 doses of Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca have been administered in Ireland.
"The European Medicines Agency (EMA), through its safety committee conducted and urgent review of all blood clotting events occurring with the Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca to determine if there is a possible safety risk.
"The EMA’s preliminary report, concluded on March 18, reported that the benefits of the Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in combating the threat of Covid-19 continue to outweigh the risk of side effects.
"The EMA also concluded that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots in those who receive it.
"The NIAC has convened and reviewed the EMA statement in relation to Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca and, following discussion with representatives from the HPRA, the National Coagulation Centre and counterparts across the EU, have recommended that the administration of Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca should be recommenced.
"Based on the assessments undertaken by the EMA and the NIAC, and the recommendations of the latter, I have recommended the recommencement of the Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca programme.
"The HSE will now work to recommence the administration of Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca."