The head of the HSE says people will not be given the choice of receiving one type of COVID-19 vaccine over another.
The rollout of the AstraZeneca inoculation resumed today following a week-long suspension over blood clotting concerns.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn announced yesterday that the HSE would be working to recommence using the vaccine and urged anyone who's offered the company's immunisation to take it.
A "small number" of patients are receiving a dose in hospitals today, as the health service returns to the 30,000 patients impacted by the decision.
The European Medicines Agency has since ruled that AstraZeneca's jab is safe and effective, however, the pause has led to suggestions some people may seek an alternative.
Meanwhile, 3,700 over 75-year-olds will receive either their first or second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Helix vaccination centre in Dublin over the weekend.
Speaking from the centre, HSE CEO Paul Reid says there will be no picking and choosing of vaccines.
"All vaccines are proven safe and effective and we'll be administering the vaccines based on our plans, it has always been our plans across all of the population based on defined risks and that's what we'll continue to do," he said.
"There will be no situation where there's a choice of one vaccine over another.
"We'll administer it based on the safety and effectiveness of all three vaccines that we have available to us."
An overhead picture of the vaccination centre in the Helix, Dublin this morning. Photograph: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ieSpeaking earlier to Newstalk Breakfast with Susan Keogh, Dr Mary Favier, COVID-19 advisor to the Irish College of General Practitioners, said GPs are generally "very pleased" that the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been resumed.
She said the temporary deferral of the jab here was "an appropriate pause" and it's better to err on the side of safety.
"AstraZeneca is a really safe vaccine, we do, as Ronan Glynn said, have three really safe vaccines so the sooner we get the rollout started the better," Dr Favier added.
"Because unfortunately, where the statistics are now, where the levels are, it's vaccination we need.
"We have a supply issue but vaccination will really be our exit out of this."
