The Health Minister says we should know later this week if Ireland can resume using the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
30,000 people won’t receive the jab this week after the vaccine was temporarily suspended over concerns about blood clots.
Health officials say it’s a precautionary measure as the European Medicines Agency investigates the claims.
AstraZeneca says its vaccine is safe; the pharmaceutical giant says after analysing data of more than 17-million people, it's found no evidence of an increased risk.
There were plans to inoculate 80,000 people this week, but with only Pfizer and Moderna vaccines being used, that forecast is cut to 50,000.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says the suspension shouldn't delay things in the long run:
"We will be able to catch up. If we get the green light to recommence with this, there will have to be a short period of time where people are notified by the HSE, but then very, very quickly the HSE will be able to notify people and recommence the vaccinations. Both for those who were meant to get it this week and those who would be scheduled for the coming weeks."
