The HSE has stated that healthcare staff will not be given a choice of a vaccine against Covid-19.
This follows the group of unions that represents healthcare staff stating that they were dissatisfied with receiving the AstraZeneca vaccination as it only has a 60% efficacy rate.
As opposed to the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine with an efficacy rate of 95% and the Moderna vaccine of 94%, healthcare workers stated that they were given the least effective vaccination against Covid-19.
According to the HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry, more recent studies suggested that the AstraZeneca vaccine had a higher efficacy rate of 70% and reports of 82% following the second dose when administered 12 weeks after the first dose for people under 65.
Dr Henry stated, “Given the availability of an effective vaccine which can offer a large degree of protection to a majority of healthcare workers within three weeks after administration of the first dose, it would be irresponsible of the HSE not to proceed with offering the available vaccine as quickly as possible.”