Planning and preparation for a Covid-19 vaccine and how an immunisation programme in Ireland would work have been under way for months.
Teams in the Department of Health and the HSE have been working on it, and a new high-level Government task force has also been set up.
The task force had its first meeting earlier this week and has committed to providing a full national vaccination strategy and implementation plan to the Taoiseach by Friday 11 December.
Indications from Europe are that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are at the top of the queue to be approved. It is understood this is informing the work of the task force.