General Practitioners (GPs) and Community Pharmacists play a key role in the delivery of the vaccination programme, in accordance with the agreed national vaccination schedule. The COVID-19 vaccination programme commenced in 2021, and seasonal boosters are now offered in Spring and Autumn to those eligible, in line with Public Health guidance. The Autumn COVID-19 booster campaign is aligned with the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine to allow co-administration of both vaccines at the same time for eligible groups.
Each year over 1 million COVID-19 vaccines and over 1 million Flu vaccines are administered in GP practices and Community Pharmacies across the country.
Vaccinations Primary Care Contractors (VPCC) team
The Vaccine Programme is supported by the HSE Vaccinations Primary Care Contractors (VPCC) team, who coordinate the service and provide Relationship Management Support to GPs and Community Pharmacists.
A sustainable and enduring COVID-19 model is now being established to support the public in accessing vaccinations in their local communities. The Primary Care Contractors Vaccination Programmes for COVID-19 and Flu are an important pillar in preventative health measures as part of the HSE Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Programme.
The ECC programme is developing and increasing community based health services. This supports the achievement of more integrated Primary Care services. The VPCC is aligned to the HSE commitment of achieving decisive shift towards stronger, more integrated Primary Care services.
What is the Vaccinations Primary Care Contractors (VPCC) team?
The mission of the HSE Vaccinations Primary Care Contractors team is that people in Ireland can access vaccination in their local community as needed, through General Practice and Community Pharmacies, via a service which is safe, trusted, responsive and quality focused.
The Vaccinations Primary Care Contractors (VPCC) team supports the delivery of vaccinations, for COVID-19 and influenza, across Primary healthcare locations in GPs and Pharmacies.
They support improving the experience of those accessing vaccinations by:
- Co-ordinating and integrating services in line with vaccination campaigns
- Supporting people to access vaccination services locally to meet public health requirements
- Supporting collaborative working to provide person-centred care
The VPCC team lead in the planning and delivery of vaccination services within Primary Care, providing a point of contact for contractors and their representative bodies to engage with the HSE. The VPCC team work closely with representative bodies and other key stakeholders to enable an efficient and quality driven service for the implementation of the COVID-19 and Influenza vaccination programmes.
