Covid-19 vaccination of Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) front line workers is expected to resume next week, chief fire office Dennis Keeley has said.

Vaccination for the brigade’s 850 firefighter paramedics began three weeks ago but was halted after two days after supplies were diverted elsewhere.

Firefighter paramedics whose vaccine appointments were postponed last month were expected to have been prioritised for inoculation two weeks ago. However, this did not go ahead.

Hospital Report

Delays in the vaccine roll out had caused "a lot of angst among our members" Mr Keeley told a Dublin City Council meeting on Monday.

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“We had a scheme for the completion of vaccination of all our staff but the availability of vaccines has become quite difficult,” he said. “Vaccinations had been set aside for Dublin fire brigade but were sent elsewhere.”

Some 250 fire brigade staff who did receive vaccines three weeks ago will receive their second doses at the end of this week he said, leaving between 600 and 650 front line staff waiting to receive their first dose.

“We are working tirelessly to try to secure supplies for our firefighter paramedics to kickstart the vaccination programme,” he said. “We are hopeful of news by the end of this week in terms of supply and hopefully the vaccination programme for Dublin fire brigade members will begin again next week. What we have been assured is that all healthcare workers will be vaccinated by the end of February.”

The second doses would be administered by the end of March he said.

“We are obviously disappointed by the slow pace of vaccination, but this is in the context of the prioritisation of the care homes which is fully understandable.”