Minister for Health Announces National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy

Covid-19 vaccines could start to be rolled out here before the end of the year, according to the Health Minister.

The government's been setting out its plan for how 14.6 million doses will be distributed across the country.

It'll start in nursing homes and large hospitals, with mass vaccination centres set up once more vaccines are available.

Around 1,500 healthcare workers and 180 community-based staff will be involved in administering the jab.

The European Medicines Agency has said its meeting to decide whether to approve the Pfizer vaccine will now take place on December 21st.

Meanwhile the Taoiseach has said the state is preparing a compensation scheme around the vaccine.

The state has to indemnify the companies that provide the vaccines in order to get access.

Micheál Martin has said they don't know what the scale of any possible compensation scheme might be as a result of indemnification.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan says there's optimism about the protection people in priority groups will have once they're vaccinated.