The Covid 19 vaccine has arrived in Ireland for the first time this morning.
It's currently in cold storage at the HSE's National Cold Chain Service.
Health Minister Stephen Donnellly has been pictured with the shipment.
When is a fridge worth photographing? When it’s just had Ireland’s first #Covid vaccines put in it ?
The first doses have just arrived and many of them are sitting in that very, very cold fridge.
We’ll begin vaccinating in four days. #holdfirm. pic.twitter.com/T9zletiOBS
— Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) December 26, 2020
The first of those jabs is due to be administered in four days time.
However health officials reported an additional 1,025 new cases of the disease yesterday, with 2 more deaths.
An Taoiseach Micheal Martin says the first few months of vaccination will start slowly:
"The volumes that will come through in January and February are relatively low, in terms of what will come subsequently," he said.
"That's when we will deal with nursing home residents, and health workers and key workers."
Hungary begins vaccine programme.
Hungary has begun vaccinating healthcare workers against coronavirus with the Pfizer/BionTech jab.
The country - which had its first shipment this morning - says its supply will be enough to inoculate 4-thousand 875 people.
It comes as nations across Europe receive their first batches ahead of the EU's vaccination programme tomorrow.
