The Russian Covid-19 vaccine should be used in Ireland to help with supply problems, according to a virology expert.
The Sputnik injection hasn't been approved yet by the European Medicines Agency, which is carrying out a rolling review.
Italy will become the first European Union country to make the vaccine, after an announcement yesterday.
Dr Gerald Barry, an assistant professor of virology in UCD, is backing calls for Ireland to access the shot.
"Rather than relying on just a small few vaccines, we need to be branching out and looking at other vaccines that we could access.
"For example, could we be accessing the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, or could we be accessing the vaccine that's being produced and used in millions of people in China at the moment.
"The more vaccines we have available to us, the less any delay by one company is going to impact us."
