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kilkennyobserver.ie
The Kilkenny Observer Friday 30 July 2021
Community Group
Romania provides Ireland with one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine BY BIANCA RALLIS
AS you are reading this article, we are still currently feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic after almost a year and a half lockdowns, fear, and uncertainty. The difference today is that we now have vaccines to combat the spread of the virus. This first gleam of light shone upon us when the married couple Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci, founders of the pharmaceutical company BioNTech, developed the 90% effective Pfizer vaccine. The company’s goal was to research the possibility of using Messenger RNA (mRNA), which is a modified genetic code designed to trick the body into fighting cancer by developing cancer fighting antibodies. Back in January, 2020, Professor Sahin stumbled across
a scientific paper on the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. He rapidly assembled a team of 500 staff members to work on possible compounds, and soon after developed partnerships with Pfizer and Chinese drug developer Fosun. The vaccine has been shown, through trials, to be 90% effective. This is an incredibly unique vaccine, as it prompts the body to produce antibodies using mRNA. Among the 500 staff members who worked tirelessly to produce such a method was Romanian Doctor Crina Petec-Calin, a specialist in biochemistry who is a clinical researcher in Germany. It made me proud to learn about the important contribution made by a Romanian doctor in fighting this pandemic. Following Pfizer’s breakthrough, other pharmaceutical giants followed suit and developed their own variations of mRNA vaccines. Although many people around the world received vaccinations as soon as they could,
a frightening portion of the population is refusing to get vaccinated out of fear of
health complications. As we can can see in Romania, as of July 8th, over 9
million people had received their first dose, and almost 5 million people were fully vaccinated. In the beginning of 2021, plenty of Romanians ran to get vaccinated, but this number sharply decreased by the summer, because many of the remaining unvaccinated citizens are choosing to skip the vaccine. Because of this, Romania was able to help other European countries by providing vaccines for them. This included the Republic of Moldavia and Denmark. On July 2nd, 2021, The Independent mentioned in one of their articles that Ireland approached every EU member state for the provision of vaccines, and every member, except for one, was unable to help with this request. Romania opened negotiations with the Republic of Ireland to provide them with up to a million vaccines. The shipment is expected to contain 700 thousand Pfizer and 300 thousand Moderna doses. A spokesperson for the Irish government confirmed that talks between the Taoiseach and Romanian
President Klaus Iohanis went very smoothly. Romania has recently halted the importation of vaccine doses because of the slow uptake among its citizens. Spending more than six years in Ireland, Kilkenny has become my second hometown. It is great news that Romania can provide one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Ireland, as it brings much more hope that Ireland will have at least 50% of their population vaccinated by the end of the summer, which will not only protect the population, but will also help to recharge the Irish economy, which has suffered heavily from severe lockdowns. It pleases me to see such an example of European Unity, as we are all human beings regardless of which country we come from or live in. This article is supported by the Romanian Twilight Community Group Contact: kclw.ro@twilight.ie
Community Group
Housing options for our ageing population AS our regular readers are aware older people and their homes is a topic we discuss here. We believe this is a subject all families should pay particular attention to as it not only concerns Seniors & Parents but very soon our Children too! Population ageing is a major demographic trend facing Ireland. Life expectancy is increasing, which means that people will spend a larger proportion of their lives as older people. In future, our homes will need to be more Universally Designed so that we can live comfortably at home into our later years The Age Friendly Homes website contains an array of information to support the development of Age Friendly Housing, such as case studies, research, funding information and design templates. This website was developed in collaboration with The Housing Agency and Age Friendly Ireland, the Department of Health and Department of Housing, Local Government
and Heritage. This is a unique web portal in an Irish context and will provide a one stop shop for all resources to support Age Friendly Housing. The Age Friendly suite of resources being launched today include guidance of features to include in a lifetime adaptable and age friendly home including how to make it more accessible and a checklist to use in your own home. Also included is research on older people’s perceptions and experiences of going through a rightsizing process to future proof their home and an information booklet for older people to explain their options regarding future proofing their homes, ranging from adapting the home, Home share or moving to more suitable accommodation. Another key resource being launched today is the ‘Age Friendly Primary Care Centre Guidelines’, which provides guidance material on the inclusion of Age Friendly features in the development of new Primary
Care Centres to meet the needs of the ageing population. All these actions are directly related to the implementation of the 2019 policy statement ‘Housing Options for Our Ageing Population’, a joint policy from the Department of Health and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Age Friendly Homes – Housing Resources for Our Ageing Population A new evidence review con-
ducted by the Health Research Board (HRB) explores the perspectives of older people from around the world on housing with support and examines the impact of this kind of housing on their well-being The review will support development of a policy framework for housing for older people in Ireland, which is being jointly developed by the Department of Health and the Department of Housing, Local Government and
Heritage. Housing with support refers to non-institutional accommodation where older people have their own front door and access to support or care services, with the aim of providing independent, accessible housing options that can improve quality of life. The implementation of this kind of housing has been rapidly expanding in recent years – a trend that is likely to intensify in the context of COVID-19, which has
made clear the risks of relying primarily on nursing homes. Key findings from the international evidence review include: • Individual choice and autonomy are important for successfully transitioning to housing with support. • The change is made easier where the housing location allows older people to maintain their existing social networks. • While personal care and support services are a key aspect of housing with support, opportunities to socialise are also essential for well-being. The report findings are brought together in an aspirational model of housing with support that will inform future policy, with the aim of improving quality of life for older people. Download the full report on www.hrb.ie Over the next number of editions, the Twilight Community group’s Seniors forum will discuss topics such as the Age Friendly Housing, Grant Supports and Age friendly housing and other items of interest to our members. If you have an issue you would like us to cover please contact us directly on info@twilight.ie or call 0567813105
