HSE invites people aged 65-69 to register for their COVID-19 AstraZeneca Vaccine

• Register online at www.hse.ie or by phone at 1850 24 1850 for HSE vaccination appointments
• Vaccines will be given during April and May
• To avoid delays when we open registrations, we are asking people to register by age on specific days initially

The HSE have confirmed details of the next group of people to be offered COVID-19 vaccines and have introduced the COVID-19 online registration system.

Over the coming weeks, about 180,000 people aged 65 to 69 will be asked to register for their COVID-19 vaccine on the HSE website. People in this group will be vaccinated at one of the HSE vaccination centres around the country using the AstraZeneca vaccine. Online registration will commence at 10am tomorrow, Thursday April 15th, beginning with people aged 69.

The vaccine being offered to people aged 65 to 69 is called COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca has been approved for use by both the EMA (European Medicines Agency) and NIAC (National Immunisation Advisory Committee), in keeping with the strictest standards of safety and quality. It is recommended for use in people aged over 60 and licensed by regulators.

Our vaccination programme is now moving into an important new phase. We have introduced a new online registration system and are inviting everyone aged 65-69 to register online. To avoid delays when we open registrations, we are asking people to register by age on specific days initially.

All 65-69 year olds should register online if you haven’t already been vaccinated or you haven’t received an appointment yet. If you have an appointment for vaccination already, through work, or because of a health condition, you don’t need to register online.  The quickest and easiest way to register is online at www.hse.ie. It is a new system which will register people, manage appointments, and provide a secure record of your vaccination. This group will be the first to use it and most groups being vaccinated from now on will also use it.

Our aim in offering the vaccine to the population is to protect people and reduce the illness and deaths caused by this virus.

Vaccinations for this group will start around 1 week after registration opens. Once a person has registered, we will send appointment details by SMS text message, 3 to 7 days before their vaccination is due to take place. People in this group will be vaccinated during April or May at one of the HSE vaccination centres around the country.

How to register:

For those registering on www.hse.ie for the vaccine you will need;

• your PPS number
• eircode
• a mobile phone number and
• an email address.

Alternatively people can call HSELive on 1850 24 1850 for assistance with the registration process.

We’re asking people to register on specific days. This will help us manage demand and make it easier for everyone to register. If you are aged:

• 69 register on Thursday 15 April, or any time after
• 68 register on Friday 16 April, or any time after
• 67 register on Saturday 17 April, or any time after
• 66 register on Sunday 18 April, or any time after
• 65 register on Monday 19 April, or any time after

Registration will stay open for people in this age group after 19th April. You can register online or on the phone at your convenience. There is no hurry to register immediately; registering first does not mean a person will get vaccinated first.
Registration days are being staggered in this way to ensure we can provide good support to people using the system or calling our phone service.
Thereafter, registration will remain open and people can register online or on the phone at their convenience.
The HSE asks for people’s support and patience during this week to ensure an orderly registration. Everyone else will be called when it’s their turn for vaccination.

• Online registration opened on www.hse.ie on Thursday at 10am
• Phone registration opened on 1850 24 1850 on Thursday at 10am

Data Security

Data security is a priority for the HSE. The Vaccination Information System has been designed to ensure only necessary information is captured and stored securely in line with HSE data retention policies. All information is encrypted in transit and at rest.
User accounts created on registration use two factor authentication, email and mobile phone number, to provide people with secure access to their own information about their vaccination.

Visit hse.ie/rollout for information about registration.
A video explaining registration is available here https://youtu.be/v1JoC01Omgc

Ends

Issued by the HSE National Press Office
Email: press@hse.ie

Notes to editor:

For further information:

• People age 65 to 69 can register online at www.hse.ie
• Information video explaining how to register is available at https://youtu.be/v1JoC01Omgc
• Privacy statement for the Vaccine Information system https://www.hse.ie/eng/gdpr/data-protection-covid-19/data-protection-covid-19-vaccine-information-system.html
• HSELive is here to answer your questions, from 8am-8pm, 7 days a week. Tel: 1850 24 1850  https://www.hse.ie/eng/contact-us

FAQs

Who should register for their vaccines?

People aged 65 to 69 are being vaccinated next, please register online or on the phone.
The easiest way is to do it online, but you can ring HSELive if you can’t.

When should I register?

To avoid delays when we open registrations this week, we are asking people to register by age:

• If you are 69 – please register on Thursday 15 April, or any time after
• If you are 68 – please register on Friday 16 April, or any time after
• If you are 67 – please register on Saturday 17 April, or any time after
• If you are 66 – please register on Sunday 18 April, or any time after
• If you are 65 – please register on Monday 19 April, or any time after

And remember, there is no hurry to register today - registering first won’t get you vaccinated first.

What do I need to register online?

To register online you will need your PPSN, your eircode, a mobile phone number and an email address. You can use a mobile, computer or tablet.

When and where will I be vaccinated?

Vaccinations for this group will start in HSE vaccination centres around 1 to 2 weeks after registration opens.

What vaccine will I be given?

People aged 65-69 will be offered the AstraZeneca vaccine. You can read all about this vaccine on the HSE website here.  www.hse.ie/COVID19vaccine 

When will you be in touch with me after registration?

Once you are registered, we will send your appointment details by SMS, 3 to 7 days before your vaccination appointment.

What happens at the vaccination centre?

You can read all about our vaccination centres here. https://hse.ie/vacctr

Can I help someone else to register?
A friend or family member can help you register if you don’t have an email address or mobile phone.
You can use a single email address and phone number for multiple registrations.
You can also ring HSELive to register someone else.

I’m a healthcare worker aged 65-69
If you have not registered on the HCW portal you should register on this system. If you have an appointment for a vaccine already, through work, or because of a health condition, you don’t need to register here.

I’m in this age group, but in a different allocation group, do I need to register?

All 65-69 year-olds should register if you haven’t been vaccinated or you haven’t received an appointment. If you have an appointment for a vaccine already, through work, or because of a health condition, you don’t need to register here.

What about people who cannot or do not want to register online?

Our team in HSELive is here to help and can register you on the phone. Just have your PPSN, Eircode and mobile phone number. If you don’t have a mobile phone you can provide us with the phone number of someone you trust to receive your appointment details.
HSELive can also be contacted through the Irish Remote Interpreting Service in Irish Sign Language or by a dedicated text number for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Information is available on the HSE website.

Why did we merge allocation group 5 and part of group 6?

This was based on our experience of earlier allocation groups, where identifying people by condition was very challenging and led to delays contacting people. In addition we now have an increase in supply of vaccines – this approach is the most efficient and timely way of vaccinating everyone in this group, including those with high-risk conditions.

What information is asked for when registering – and why?

• Mobile phone number so we can text you your appointment details
• Your email address so you can set up your account
• Eircode and Address so we can assign you to your nearest vaccination centre

The following are needed so we can find your Individual Health Identifier which means we can securely record your vaccination against your health record.

• Nationality
• PSN
• Mother’s birth family name
• Gender            

Why do you want my GP’s name?

We capture GP information so we can send your vaccination record to your GP.

What if I don’t have a GP?

There is an option to say you don’t have a GP.

Why do we ask about ethnicity?

Ethnicity is captured so we can make sure there are no communities left out of the vaccination programme, and that we are able to report on the performance of the programme for all our population. If you do not want to share your ethnicity with us you can select this option in the list on this page.

What if I don’t have a PPSN, Eircode or mobile phone?

You can call HSELive and they will register you on the phone.

How do we stop people registering out of their turn?

The system will alert anyone not aged 65-69 that is it not their turn to register.

Data Security

Data security is a priority for the HSE. The Vaccination Information System has been designed to ensure only necessary information is captured and stored securely in line with HSE data retention policies. All information is encrypted in transit and at rest. The privacy statement for the Vaccine Information system is available here https://www.hse.ie/eng/gdpr/data-protection-covid-19/data-protection-covid-19-vaccine-information-system.html

User accounts created on registration use two factor authentication, email and mobile phone number, to provide people with secure access to their own information about their vaccination.

Why we ask for your gender

We ask for your gender as it appears on your passport, medical card or national age card, so we can match your registration to your Individual Health Identifier (IHI).
Your IHI is the number that matches you to your existing health records.
We understand this may not match your current gender or how you self-describe but it is important that we are able to correctly identify you when you come for your vaccine.

Vaxzevria COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is not recommended for those aged under 60 years including those with medical conditions with very high or high risk of severe COVID-19 disease. A second dose of “Vaxzevria” the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should not be given to anyone who developed unusual blood clots with low platelets after the first dose.

Advice for those who have received a first dose of Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca is

Those aged 60 and older should receive their second dose 12 weeks later as scheduled.

• Those aged under 60 years with a very high risk or high-risk medical condition should receive their second dose 12 weeks later as scheduled.
• Those aged under 60 years without a very high risk or high-risk medical condition should have the scheduled interval between doses extended to 16 weeks to allow further assessment of the benefits and risks as more evidence becomes available.