Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly talks with Laura Campbell and Mary Jones during the minister's visit to the Mid-West Covid-19 Vaccination Centre at the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh. Photo: Brian Arthur

Walk-in vaccination clinic returns to Nenagh

A second round of Walk-In First-Dose Pfizer Covid -19 Vaccination Clinics will be held at the Mid-West Covid -19 Vaccination Centres in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary this weekend for people aged 16-years and older who have not yet been vaccinated.

The local clinics are being hosted in the vaccination centres in Limerick Racecourse, the West County Hotel, Ennis, and the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh, as part of a national effort triggered by the HSE nationally, in light of the success of the walk-in clinics held in vaccination centres nationwide during last weekend’s August Bank Holiday.

Clinics in the three Mid-West Covid -19 Vaccination Centres will be held at set times from Friday August 6th to Sunday August 8th, as follows:

- Friday, August 6: Limerick Racecourse (2pm-7pm); and Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh (2pm-7pm).

- Saturday August 7: West County Hotel, Ennis (8.15am-12.30pm)

- Sunday August 8: Limerick Racecourse (10am-12.30pm and 1pm-6pm), and Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh (2pm-7pm)

All clinic dates and times will be published on www.hse.ie and only the Cominaty® (i.e. Pfizer BioNTech) MRNA vaccine will be offered at these clinics.

In the Mid-West last weekend, a total of 2,649 people received first-dose Pfizer vaccines, part of a total of more than 18,000 people who attended clinics across the country. Colette Cowan, CEO, UL Hospitals Group, said she was delighted with the local response, and reiterated her call to anyone aged 16 and over who hasn’t yet been vaccinated to come forward this weekend.

“Covid -19 remains a real threat, and it was wonderful to see so many people taking time during a holiday weekend to play their part in the collective battle against the disease. I would hope for a similar response this weekend, and we’re asking everyone aged 16 and over who hasn’t been vaccinated to take this golden opportunity to get a First Dose Pfizer vaccine. No appointment is necessary, and every single person who is vaccinated is playing a major part in enhancing our societal immunity to Covid -19,” she said.

Anyone who wishes to attend for a vaccine does not require an appointment, and does not need to register on the national vaccine registration portal. For identification purposes, anyone attending the clinics must bring their birth certificate, or a photo ID.

Anyone with queries may contact the local HSE-approved helpline number on 087-9681240. There is no requirement for a parent/guardian to accompany a 16 or 17 year old. Those who wish to be accompanied will be facilitated where possible.

Covid -19 vaccination across the country is at an advanced stage, against a backdrop of national and international concern about the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the fourth wave of Covid -19 and an increase in Covid -19 hospitalisations. The walk-in vaccination clinics are part of a national strategy aimed as making it as easy as possible for people to get their vaccination against Covid -19.

Here in the Mid-West, last week’s activity at all three vaccination centres, up to close of business on Bank Holiday Monday (including the Covid -19 walk-in clinics), brought to 288,921 the total vaccination doses administered under the Mid-West Covid -19 Vaccination programme to date. This total does not include the vaccination work undertaken by HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare, the National Ambulance Service, General Practitioners and pharmacists.

UL Hospitals Group’s Covid -19 vaccination teams continue working to ensure that everyone in the Mid-West will receive a vaccine, in line with national guidance on Covid -19 vaccination. We urge anyone aged 16 and over and who has not yet been vaccinated, to attend for their first-dose Pfizer vaccine this weekend.