Covid-19: Family members of Pfizer staff in Ireland to be vaccinated from mid-May

Pharma multinational announces plans for its own programme of family vaccination

A dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. File photograph: Laura Hutton/The Irish Times
A dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. File photograph: Laura Hutton/The Irish Times

Family members of Pfizer staff in Ireland are to be given a Covid-19 vaccine by the firm from the middle of May, the company has said.

The pharma multinational, which is behind one of the Covid-19 vaccines approved for use in the State, plans to vaccinate family or household members aged over 60 initially, and then to progress to other age categories at a later stage.

“This will be run independently by Pfizer and the vaccine doses used in this programme are separate to the supply provided to the Government and all costs associated with it are covered by the company,” a spokeswoman said.

The company began immunising 3,000 “essential” workers in its Irish plants from January and has since vaccinated remaining staff.

Paul Cullen

Paul Cullen

Paul Cullen is a former heath editor of The Irish Times.