Everything Mayo people aged 65-69 need to know to register for their Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine

Register online at www.hse.ie or by phone at 1850 24 1850 for HSE vaccination appointments

Vaccines will be given during April and May

To avoid delays people are asked to register by age on specific days initially

The HSE have confirmed details of the next group of people to be offered Covid-19 vaccines and have introduced the Covid-19 online registration system.

Over the coming weeks, about 180,000 people aged 65 to 69 will be asked to register for their Covid-19 vaccine on the HSE website.

People in this group will be vaccinated at one of the HSE vaccination centres at Breaffy Events Arena using the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Online registration began at 10 a.m. today (April 15), beginning with people aged 69.

The vaccine being offered to people aged 65 to 69 is called Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca has been approved for use by both the EMA (European Medicines Agency) and NIAC (National Immunisation Advisory Committee), in keeping with the strictest standards of safety and quality.

It is recommended for use in people aged over 60 and licensed by regulators.

A statement issued by the HSE outlined: "Our vaccination programme is now moving into an important new phase.

"We have introduced a new online registration system and are inviting everyone aged 65-69 to register online.

"To avoid delays when we open registrations, we are asking people to register by age on specific days initially.

"All 65-69 year olds should register online if you haven’t already been vaccinated or you haven’t received an appointment yet.

"If you have an appointment for vaccination already, through work, or because of a health condition, you don’t need to register online.

"The quickest and easiest way to register is online at https://www.hse.ie.

It is a new system which will register people, manage appointments, and provide a secure record of your vaccination.

"This group will be the first to use it and most groups being vaccinated from now on will also use it.

"Our aim in offering the vaccine to the population is to protect people and reduce the illness and deaths caused by this virus.

Vaccinations for this group will start around one week after registration opens.

"Once a person has registered, we will send appointment details by SMS text message, three to seven days before their vaccination is due to take place.

"People in this group will be vaccinated during April or May at one of the HSE vaccination centres around the country.

How to register:

For those registering on https://www.hse.ie for the vaccine you will need;

•your PPS number

•eircode

•a mobile phone number and

•an email address.

Alternatively people can call HSELive on 1850 24 1850 for assistance with the registration process.

We’re asking people to register on specific days. This will help us manage demand and make it easier for everyone to register. If you are aged:

• 69 register on Thursday 15 April, or any time after

• 68 register on Friday 16 April, or any time after

• 67 register on Saturday 17 April, or any time after

• 66 register on Sunday 18 April, or any time after

• 65 register on Monday 19 April, or any time after

Registration will stay open for people in this age group after April 19.

You can register online or on the phone at your convenience. There is no hurry to register immediately; registering first does not mean a person will get vaccinated first.

Registration days are being staggered in this way to ensure we can provide good support to people using the system or calling our phone service.

Thereafter, registration will remain open and people can register online or on the phone at their convenience.

The HSE asks for people’s support and patience during this week to ensure an orderly registration. Everyone else will be called when it’s their turn for vaccination.

•Online registration opened on https://www.hse.ie.

•Phone registration opened on 1850 24 1850 on Thursday at 10am

Data Security

Data security is a priority for the HSE.

The Vaccination Information System has been designed to ensure only necessary information is captured and stored securely in line with HSE data retention policies.

All information is encrypted in transit and at rest.

User accounts created on registration use two factor authentication, email and mobile phone number, to provide people with secure access to their own information about their vaccination.

Visit https://www.hse.ie/rollout for information about registration.

A video explaining registration is available at: https://youtu.be/v1JoC01Omgc