Work underway to prepare for opening of AIT vaccine hub

Work is underway to prepare for the opening of a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Athlone IT, but the HSE hasn't yet given a date for when the first jabs will be administered there.

Last month, it was announced that the International Arena on the local campus would be the site of one of the 37 vaccination hubs being set up across Ireland.

Work has been happening inside the arena to prepare for its vaccination use, and this is currently at an advanced stage.

It's understood that discussions around traffic, and managing the numbers attending for vaccination, have been taking place between the HSE, the Gardai, and Westmeath County Council.

A HSE spokesperson said last week that the Athlone centre was "due to open in a number of weeks, in line with projected increase in vaccine availability."

It's anticipated that the AIT centre will be the biggest of its kind in the Midlands, and the HSE said the larger vaccination centres would have "30 to 50 booths and the capacity to deliver to 3,000 to 5,000 vaccinations per day over a 12-hour shift."

The facilities that were chosen as vaccination hubs had to be available for "a minimum of six months" from March 1 onwards.

The HSE pointed out that that the vaccination centres would be used "in addition to locations such as GP surgeries and pharmacies, where vaccines will also be delivered."