Ireland buys surplus vaccines from Romania

Ireland has completed a deal to buy 700,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from Romania.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the move will help to speed up the vaccine roll-out through this month. The doses will arrive through August from manufacturing facilities in Belgium, having originally been allocated to the Romanians. The original deal was for 700-thousand Pfizer doses and a further 300-thousand Moderna jabs - with sources saying the latter part of the deal is still being worked on. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the supply will support the next phases vaccine roll-out through the summer and autumn months. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said exact dates for the arrival of the extra vaccines haven't been confirmed, but delivery will start this month.