A major rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme is to get underway from today.
Up to 80,000 people aged over 85 will start getting the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines over the next 3 weeks.
The vaccines will be rolled out in one of 40 vaccination centres and in larger GP practices.
It comes as 788 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed and 17 more patients with the virus have died.
RCSI Professor Sam McConkey says if someone in the over 85 age group doesn't get the vaccine, it should be given to the over 70s.
This week’s programme will also see 40,000 staff and residents in long-terms care facilities getting their second dose.
Meanwhile, 25,000 frontline healthcare workers are due to get their first AstraZeneca dose this week.
Health officials have said they aim to have offered everyone over the age of 70 their first does by mid-May.
