Covid-19: Irish pharmacies to administer vaccines in June

People aged 40 to 44 in the Republic of Ireland will be able to register for their jabs from Wednesday

Pharmacies in the Republic of Ireland are to play a role in Covid-19 vaccinations from early June, the Irish health minister has said.

Stephen Donnelly told the Seanad (Irish parliament) the move would be "particularly important in areas further away from vaccination centres".

Mr Donnelly said people aged 40 to 44 will be able to register for their jabs from Wednesday, RTÉ reports.

A total of 2.7m jabs have now been administered in the Republic.

That means that half of the adult population has now had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

• Easing of Ireland's Covid-19 restrictions announced

Despite the progress, the head of the Republic of Ireland's health service, Paul Reid, has warned the virus remains a danger and people should remain diligent.

On Monday, 378 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 were reported to the Irish Department of Health.

'End of this is within our grasp'

Speaking during a national address on Friday, Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin said that the strategy to combat Covid-19 is working and that "the end of this is within our grasp".

"We are almost back to a point where we can enjoy the ordinary and extraordinary moments in our lives, the excitement and relief is palpable," he said.