Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD and Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD have today announced eleven pop up vaccination centres will be established across colleges next week.
The clinics will provide first or second doses and will be provided to students and staff as walk-in clinics during Vaccination Week.
The aim is to maximise vaccine uptake in those who have not yet availed of vaccination, including international students.
The pop-up clinics will be in:
- University College Cork;
- NUI Galway;
- Trinity College Dublin;
- University of Limerick;
- Dublin City University;
- Maynooth University;
- Munster Technological University Cork;
- Mary Immaculate College;
- Royal College of Surgeons Ireland;
- National College of Art and Design;
- Athlone Institute of Technology (Technological University of the Shannon from October 1st).
In addition, clinics operating in UCD, Letterkenny, Sligo and Waterford Institutes of Technology will be open to students and staff during Vaccination week
Speaking today, Minister Harris said: “Next week, thousands of students will start college for the first time. It is an incredibly exciting time for our third level sector.
“To coincide with this, my Department and the HSE have been working together to ensure we are doing everything we can to make our third level campuses as safe as is possible.
“Today, I can confirm the establishment of pop up vaccination clinics across the country to ensure maximum take up across the student population.
“In addition, vaccination centres near third level colleges will take walk-ins from third level students during Vaccination Week.
“There is no greater protection from Covid-19 than the vaccine. We have already seen a great uptake from young people and Vaccination Week offers anyone who hasn’t received their first or second dose to seek protection.”
David Walsh, HSE Work Stream Lead Vaccination Process and Workforce, said: “We have been working with the Department to maximise the vaccine uptake in those, who have not yet availed of vaccination, including international students, as thousands of students return to college this month.”
“Our focus will be on accessibility and positive promotion of vaccination on campus. We will provide temporary walk-in vaccination clinics in a number of pop vaccination clinics across the country to ensure the maximum take up across the student population and continue to build on the gains already achieved with the vaccine programme.”
In addition, free face masks will be distributed to over 200 locations nationwide over the coming weeks.