Covid-19 and Covid-19 Vaccinations

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is an illness that can affect your lungs and airways, and sometimes other parts of your body. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

COVID-19 is highly infectious. It spreads through the air through droplets produced when people cough or sneeze, or when they touch surfaces where the droplets have landed and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.

COVID-19 can cause serious illness, hospitalisation and even death.

Older people and people with certain health conditions have a higher risk of getting seriously ill if they get COVID-19.

What is the COVID-19 vaccine?

A vaccine is a substance that should improve immunity (protection) to a particular disease. The COVID-19 vaccine will offer you protection from COVID-19. If people are vaccinated, it should also reduce the numbers who become seriously ill or even die from COVID-19 in our community.

Vaccines teach your immune system how to protect you from diseases. It is much safer for your immune system to learn how to protect you through vaccination than by getting COVID-19.

Are COVID-19 vaccines safe?

Covid-19 vaccines used in Ireland are safe. All vaccines used in the Republic of Ireland must be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The EMA only approves vaccines once they are satisfied that they are safe and effective. Because COVID-19 has caused a crisis all around the world, lots of work is being done by experts in many countries. These experts have worked together to develop safe vaccines as quickly as possible. But COVID-19 vaccines that are used in Ireland and approved by the EMA must still go through the same safety and effectiveness assessments that all other vaccines and medicines go through before they are approved. In Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) works to make sure that side effects that people get are reported and followed up.

Are there side effects from COVID-19 vaccines?

Like all medicines, vaccines can have side effects. The side effects are mostly mild or moderate and include things like having a sore arm or itching in the part where the injection was given, feeling tired, feeling sick, swollen lymph glands in the arm where the vaccine was given, body chills or feeling like you have a fever. Some people don’t get any side effects at all. More rarely, people experience sleeplessness, or temporary weakness in their face muscles. The side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine are similar to the side effects that you can get from other vaccines. We know this from looking at the results of clinical trials, and from the reports from the millions of people around the world who have already been vaccinated. We know that serious side effects to vaccines, like an allergic reaction, are extremely rare. As more people in Ireland and around the world get this vaccine, the HSE will update our website with any new information. You can report any side effects you experience to the HPRA. The link is below.

GETTING THE VACCINE AND YOUR APPOINTMENT

COVID-19 HEALTH SCREEN:

Do not attend your appointment if:
• you have any current symptoms of Covid 19, or
• have been diagnosed with Covid 19 in the last 3 months (4 months if receiving your 2nd vaccine), or
• have been told you are a close contact of someone with Covid 19, or
• have been told you should isolate.

WHEN YOU SHOULD NOT GET A COVID VACCINE:

• Following an anaphylactic reaction to a first dose of a Covid Vaccine
• If you are allergic to any of the ingredients contained in the vaccine as listed further below.

APPOINTMENT TIMES:

• Please be on time but do not arrive at the pharmacy more than 5 minutes before your appointment
• You will be sent email reminders prior to your appointment
• If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment please contact the pharmacy as soon as you can
• Adults should arrive for their vaccination unaccompanied where possible.

ON THE DAY:

• Please wear a loose-fitting top so that your upper arm is easily accessible
• Bring your phone, photo ID and a face covering

VACCINE INFORMATION LEAFLETS:

Please read the relevant information about your assigned vaccine prior to your appointment. Leaflets will also be available at the pharmacy when you arrive for your vaccination.

• Covid-19  Vaccines leaflet

VACCINE EXCIPIENT LIST:

PfizerBioNTech Vaccine: polyethylene glycol/macrogol (PEG) as part of ALC-0159, ALC-0315 = (4-hydroxybutyl) azanediyl)bis (hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate),, ALC-0159 = 2-[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide,, 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, cholesterol, potassium chloride, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium chloride, disodium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, sucrose, water for injections.

FURTHER INFORMATION:
For more up-to-date Covid related information please follow the links above or contact the HSE on 1850 24 1850.