COUNTY’S COVID-19 VACCINATION CENTRE CLOSES; HEALTH EXPERTS ADDRESS FEARS OVER NEW VARIANT AND MONKEYPOX THREATS

The HSE Vaccination Centre for Co Monaghan which had operated at the Glencarn Hotel in Castleblayney during the latter part of the intensive period of the Covid-19 pandemic closed on Monday last, May 23. The HSE said the closure was in accordance with its national operating model for the next phase of the delivery of the vaccination programme over the coming months, which involved a reduction in the number of vaccination centres across the country.

“We are reducing the number of our large vaccination sites because at this point we believe that we can provide the necessary level of vaccination required for the remainder of 2022 and beyond with a smaller number of sites, supported by local GPs and Pharmacies,” the HSE stated. Over 62,000 vaccines were provided in the Co Monaghan centre, which was originally based at the Hillgrove Hotel in Monaghan Town, since it first opened in April 2021. The HSE said pop-up vaccination clinics would be in operation in Co Monaghan from Monday next, May 30 and these would have a countywide geographical spread.

The HSE said it would publish details of the clinics on its social media sites when venues and dates were confirmed. Meanwhile, health experts have been addressing concerns over new Covid- 19 variants which have been detected in the Republic of Ireland, and fears of an outbreak here of the monkeypox virus which is receiving increasing..