Minister For Health Stephen Donnelly

This afternoon.

Via RTÉ:

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said the European Medicines Agency will conduct a final review of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on 29 December and if approved it could begin to be distributed in Ireland from early January.

Mr Donnelly said that the EMA indicated today that the approval of a second vaccine from Moderna will be decided upon at a second meeting on 12 January.

Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mr Donnelly said that the EMA is also considering the credentials of the AstroZeneca/Oxford vaccine and a fourth vaccine from Jansen.

Vaccine rollout could begin early in New Year, says Donnelly

Meanwhile…

Just over half the population would take a Covid-19 vaccine if there was one, according to a survey commissioned by the pharmaceutical industry.

Men are more likely to take the vaccine, and older people more than the young, the survey for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association suggests.

Some 55 per cent of people surveyed said they would opt for the vaccine, 33 per cent were unsure and 12 per cent said they would not take it. One fifth of those aged between 18 and 34 were opposed to taking the vaccine.

Mr Donnelly said he did not envisage making the taking of the vaccine compulsory.

Because he can’t, silly.

Vaccine rollout could begin early in New Year, says Donnelly (Irish Times)

Meanwhile….

The Government has agreed to indemnify five drug companies producing Covid-19 vaccines against any liabilities that arise from complications with their roll-out in the coming months.

The move is considered standard practice, but is also a precondition of accessing doses of each of the companies’ vaccine and signals the Government’s confidence in the jabs being approved for quality, safety and efficacy by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the coming week.

Good times.

State to underwrite virus vaccine firms to reassure patients as UK approves Pfizer jab (Independent.ie)

RollingNews

Meanwhile…

Um.

This afternoon.

Evil, easily-spread marijuana.

The streets are a little safer today.

This afternoon.

In an update to its Covid-19 guidance on masks, The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended wearing face masks when indoors with other people ‘if the ventilation has been deemed inadequate’.

“WHO advises that the general public should wear a non-medical mask in indoor or outdoor settings where physical distancing of at least one metre cannot be maintained,” the new guidance says.

“If indoors, unless ventilation has been assessed to be adequate, WHO advises that the general public should wear a non-medical mask, regardless of whether physical distancing of at least one metre can be maintained.”

Meanwhile…

As for face shields, WHO said they “provide a level of eye protection only and should not be considered as an equivalent to masks” when it came to protection against respiratory droplets.

“If face shields are to be used, ensure proper design to cover the sides of the face and below the chin,” the guidance said.

WHO recommends masks indoors if ventilation poor (RTÉ)

RollingNews

..a luminous plasma spheroid bound together by your own gravitation.

Behold: the star-forming region NGC 346 – 200 light years across, nestled among the clusters and nebulae of the Small Magellanic Cloud. To wit:

 A satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is a wonder of the southern sky, a mere 210,000 light-years distant in the constellation of the Toucan (Tucana). Exploring NGC 346, astronomers have identified a population of embryonic stars strung along the dark, intersecting dust lanes visible here on the right. Still collapsing within their natal clouds, the stellar infants’ light is reddened by the intervening dust. Toward the top of the frame is another star cluster with intrinsically older and redder stars. A small, irregular galaxy, the SMC itself represents a type of galaxy more common in the early Universe. These small galaxies, though, are thought to be building blocks for the larger galaxies present today.

(Image: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing: Judy Schmidt)

apod

The Screaming Orphans – Song We Used To Sing

Happy Christmas from the Diver sisters (top) of Bundoran [County Donegal].

Joan, Grainne, Angela and Marie Therese have teamed up with ace songwriter John Spillane for this poignant stroll down memory lane.

The video features old photos and videos submitted by the band’s fans and friends reflecting on memories of time spent together.

The single is available from December 11. A llive stream concert on the band’s Facebook page takes place on Saturday.

Nick says: The stars of the county Donegal.

The Screaming Orphans

Aidan Fitzmaurice.

First person brown enveloper.

Contains: Jack Chambers, Pee Flynn.

Previously: Aidan Fitzmaurice on Broadsheet

Top from left: Peter Fitzpatrick TD, Senator Sharon Keogan, Senator Rónán Mullen, Carol Nolan TD, and Mattie McGrath TD

This afternoon.

Leinster House, Dublin 2.

Members of the All-Party Oireachtas Life and Dignity Group launching the ‘Late-Term Abortion and Foetal Pain – Proposing a Humane Response’ document calling for a ban on late term abortions. The report is based off findings from a University College Cork survey with ten foetal medicine specialists carrying out fatal foetal anomaly (FFA) abortions in Ireland.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Broadsheet.ie