The vaccine programme is gathering speed.

18 - 34 year olds will be able to register with pharmacies for the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine from next week, the government has confirmed. The vaccine rollout will become more accessible to young people from next Monday, July 5, allowing many people within this age bracket to receive their vaccine from a pharmacy considerably earlier than expected. Speaking to Morning Ireland on RTÉ radio 1 today, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that the country currently has 40,000 Janssen vaccines in stock and that and around 205,000 more will be used in July and August. Donnelly said that this increase will be a "huge benefit for them and society in the face of this Delta surge." Over 700 pharmacies across the country will be participating in the rollout. This news comes after the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) warned of a potential fourth wave due to the prevalence of the Delta variant. Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan warned of a "very significant" wave of infections over the coming weeks, and stating that it will likely take until September to get these case under control. Yesterday saw an increase in Covid-19 cases across the country with 448 new cases confirmed on Thursday. Ireland's death toll also reached 5,000.