Surge in people seeking vaccinations and antigen tests, says Mayo pharmacist

Pharmacist James Geraghty knows how unpleasant Covid-19 can be, after an experience with the virus four months ago which he faced having had all available vaccinations.

“I am very happy I got both vaccines. My symptoms for the first couple of days weren’t great. Looking back at it and thinking to myself, I wonder how bad I would have been if I hadn’t got the booster,” said the Mayo pharmacist.

Like elsewhere, Geraghty has noticed the spike in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, and a dramatic rise in the numbers seeking vaccinations, or antigen tests, following months when most people were interested in neither.

“It had quieted down until about two or three weeks ago. But we have seen large increases in people buying antigen tests. A lot of our staff have contracted the virus. There’s been a lot more people coming in and getting vaccinated.

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“Some of our staff, our younger staff, have been quite ill with it. I don’t know what specific strain they have been dealing with, but a lot of our younger staff in their 20s have been quite ill,” he said.

Geraghty believes a fourth vaccine will be needed. Older people have become more afraid of getting the virus in recent weeks: “There has been a fear element about it,” he said.

Geraghty’s company, Molloy’s Pharmacy, which has branches in Mayo, Roscommon and Galway, has again set aside booking times for vaccinations to ensure that the branches can also carry out their normal duties.

The Health Service Executive has “done a really strong job” on the vaccinations programme, he said, helping to make life “normal for people”.