Dr. Colm Henry:

We will reach everybody. I reiterate how difficult this is. I do not want to overemphasise this but it needs to be said again. The vaccine is extremely difficult to administer, particularly as it comes in a multi-dose vial that has very definitive storage and transport requirements which are time limited. It must be planned with the National Ambulance Service, NAS, to deliver the vaccine and once a vial is reconstituted it must be used within six hours. We must plan the administration of the number of doses coming out of a vial in quick order between different households. It is not simply a matter of NAS personnel administering the vaccine and leaving the house. These are frail individuals and having been administered the vaccine at home, they must be observed for at least 15 minutes. It is a considerable undertaking. We heard earlier that, to date, 1,500 or 1,600 of this cohort have been vaccinated. We have a few hundred people yet to vaccinate and we are committed to reaching everybody. Some people are concerned. We have identified all this cohort through working with general practitioners who are best placed to identify those who cannot travel to vaccination centres or general practice surgeries.