Group 4
From mid-April, our clinic will be supporting the hospital roll-out of Group 4 patients to vaccinate those that do not attend the hospital or have not been invited by their hospital teams and who are aged 18-59. GP practices are not vaccinating patients aged 60-69. These patients will be vaccinated in mass vaccination clinics and registration can be made through the online HSE website portal. We will start this process with "very high risk patients" and we have been asked to prioritise patients in the following groups:
- Diabetes where the patient has HbA1c > 58mmol/mol in last 12 months
- Obesity where patients have a BMI > 40
- Chronic Respiratory Disease where patient is on home oxygen, pre or post transplantation or with a hospital admission related to disease in past year
- Patients with Prader Willi syndrome
Group 7
Once Group 4 is complete, we will be moving on to the next phase of vaccination in General Practice for patients aged 18-59 with medical conditions that put them at a high risk of severe disease or death. Please see below for priority groups within Group 7.
- Cancer - Haematological - within 1 -5 years, Non-haematological - within 1 year. All other cancers on non-hormonal treatment.
- Chronic heart (and vascular) disease - Chronic heart disease, for example: heart failure, hypertensive cardiac disease and known to have heart disease.
- Chronic kidney disease - Chronic kidney disease with eGFR <30ml/min.
- Chronic liver disease - for example: cirrhosis or fibrosis; active chronic hepatitis.
- Chronic neurological disease or condition - Chronic neurological disease or condition significantly compromising respiratory function and/or the ability to clear secretions, for example: Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy.
- Chronic respiratory disease - Other chronic respiratory disease, for example: stable cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis; pulmonary sarcoid; severe asthma (continuous or repeated use of systemic corticosteroids), moderate COPD.
- Diabetes - All other diabetes (Type 1 and 2).
- Immunocompromised - Immunocompromise due to disease or treatment, for example: high dose systemic steroids, persons living with HIV.
- Inherited metabolic diseases - Disorders of intermediary metabolism not fulfilling criteria for very high risk.
- Obesity - BMI >35 Kg/m2.
If having reviewed the above medical criteria you feel that you are eligible for a Covid vaccine within either Group 4 or Group 7 and have not yet been contacted for vaccination by ourselves or hospital clinic, please complete the form below and return this by email to your GP practice. Your practice will review this information and confirm your eligibility to ensure that you are listed for a Covid vaccine. Where possible, we would encourage these vaccines to be given in hospital through specialist clinics as originally planned.
Please note that both of the above groups will be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, which is 2 doses given 4 weeks apart. There currently is no ability to choose between vaccine types, we would encourage you to take the first vaccine you are offered to ensure you are protected from Covid 19 as soon as possible.