HUNDREDS of vulnerable people have now received their third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine through vaccination centres, hospitals, care settings and GPs in Donegal.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) has recommended additional vaccines be given to those with serious immune system issues aged over 12, to the over-80s and to anyone over 65 in a long-term care facility.
The latest appointments at the Scally McDaid Roarty Medical Practice take place today, Thursday.
Dr James McDaid said that more than seventy people aged over-80 had received their third dose of the vaccine through their drive through clinic. They have also been offering the flu vaccine at this clinic.
“I’m a little worried that the numbers (Covid) are starting to creep up once more, especially given the fact that the Government remains on track to move ahead with the removal of Covid-19 restrictions on 22 October.
“There’s an awful lot of flu around at the moment and the vast majority of the people I’m seeing with that particular virus are children under ten and young teenagers. It’s being transmitted through the schools and the more children who get it the more they’re bringing it home to their parents and grand parents.
“It just goes to show how these viruses can spread through schools and I would urge people to get the flu vaccine if at all possible this year as I’m expecting a fairly severe winter at work,” Dr McDaid said.
More than 90 per cent of all adults in Ireland are now fully vaccinated, while 92.5 per cent have received at least one dose.

There have been more than nine hundred cases of Covid-19 in Donegal over the past two weeks.
In the last seven days, there’s been 514 cases of covid in the county, which equates to an incidence rate of 322.9 per 100k population.
In the last 14 days, Donegal has seen 932 new cases, which is a worrying 585.5 cases per 100k – the highest incidence of the virus in the country as of Monday, October 11.
There were 16 patients with Covid in Letterkenny University Hospital, two of whom were receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit.
As the country prepares for another easing of restrictions, which will allow life to return to the closest thing to normal that we’ve had since March 2019, there doesn’t appear to be any sign of the virus relenting. Nationally, hospital case numbers are up 120%, and ICU cases are up 117% on last week’s figures. There are currently 75 patients in Intensive Care.