A DONEGAL County Councillor says that people in his area have been ‘forgotten’ in the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines.
Covid-19 vaccines will be administered at the Bayview Family Practice in Ballyshannon on Saturday.
This weekend will see patients aged between 18 and 59 who are in Cohort 4 and Cohort 7 vaccinated.
However, Bundoran-based Sinn Féin Councillor Michael McMahon has called for an ‘urgent’ review of those he feels are being left behind.
“South Donegal people aged 60-69 years are forgotten in the rollout this weekend,” Cllr McMahon said.
“I have been contacted by a number of upset and anxious people aged 60-69, some of whom have high risk medical needs. These people have been completely overlooked for vacicnations at this Saturday’s clinic in Ballyshannon.”
Cllr McMahon said the situation was causing ‘confusion and frustration’ in south Donegal and said that a ‘clear plan is urgently needed’.
He said: “A number of these people have been in isolation for 15 months, with limited travel and will rely on public transport or a family member to transport to Sligo or Letterkenny in what could be a three-month wait.
“I welcome the large community vaccine clinic in Bayview Practise this Saturday who will offer vaccines to up to 1000 people under 60, but I urgently call on the HSE to ensure that these people are prioritised and they have the option to have their vaccine locally.”
Those in Cohort 4 are people with diabetes; obesity where patients have a BMI of more than 40; those with chronic respiratory disease where the patient is on home oxygen, pre or post-transplantation or with a hospital admission related to disease in the last year; or patients with Prader Willi Syndrome.
Cohort 7 deals with people suffering from cancer, chronic heat, kidney, liver, neurological and respiratory diseases, diabetics, obesity, immunocompromised and severe mental illness.
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