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Twenty teachers and staff from St Gerard’s School in Co Dublin were vaccinated at Beacon Hospital this week, significantly ahead of their place on the vaccination schedule.
The private hospital in Sandyford, south of Dublin, said the problem arose because there were 20 “leftover” vaccine doses on Tuesday night.
About 1,096 Health Service Executive (HSE) employees had received their vaccinations that day at a vaccination center run by Beacon.
However, the hospital said there were more than 200 “no-shows,” as some HSE staff had been booked twice to receive vaccinations at Aviva Stadium.
“Beacon Hospital contacted HSE immediately, and most of these over-vaccinations were subsequently used by HSE staff who were redirected to Beacon Hospital throughout the afternoon,” a hospital spokesperson said.
By Tuesday night, 20 leftover vaccines had been prepared and were to be used in a very short period of time, the spokesperson said.
There were “limitations” on who could receive the doses, such as the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not used to vaccinate people over 70 years of age.
“In accordance with the zero waste policy, the decision was made to administer the leftover vaccine to teachers who were able to reach the center within the exceptionally short time frame required,” the spokesperson said.
The vaccines were administered to teachers and staff who worked at St Gerard’s, a paying school outside of Bray. The story was first reported in the Irish Daily Mail on Friday.
Prioritization and sequencing
HSE Executive Director Paul Reid said he “cannot approve” vaccination of teachers, ahead of its place on the calendar.
Mr. Reid told Newstalk Breakfast that it was extremely frustrating for the HSE when incidents like this occurred.
“We want them to have backup lists, as we don’t want vials to go to waste. But we hope that all services stick to our prioritization and sequencing, “he said.
“The jar certainly has to be used if it is open, we all understand that. But even preparing for the day needs to prioritize who you might have on hold and there are a lot of options, legitimately, about what to do next, ”he said.
In a statement, Beacon CEO Michael Cullen said: “I acknowledge that the decision that was made was not in line with the sequencing guidelines established by the HSE.”
Mr. Cullen said the decision “was made under time pressure and in order to ensure that the vaccine was not wasted.”
“I sincerely apologize for the upset this decision has caused and we are updating our focus to our endorsement list to ensure this situation does not re-emerge,” he said.
It is understood that Mr. Cullen’s children attend St Gerard’s School. The hospital’s chief executive did not respond to inquiries from The Irish Times, asking if he played any direct role in contacting teachers to receive excess vaccinations.
Frustration
Justice Minister Helen McEntee on Friday expressed frustration at the hospital’s actions.
There was a very clear protocol on the use of vaccines and there shouldn’t have been a situation where a decision was made to get off that list, she told RTÉ Radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show.
This issue had been emphasized several times, he said, and now it was up to HSE to decide what would happen to Beacon Hospital.
The vaccination sequencing system was there for a reason, the minister said. When people “start to move out of it, people lose faith in the system itself. It frustrates me to hear that it is still happening. “
Priority groups currently receiving vaccinations include people age 70 and older, and the medically vulnerable at “very high risk” for Covid-19. This includes some immunosuppressed people, cancer patients, and those with chronic kidney or respiratory diseases, among other conditions.
Hospitals administer vaccination of very high-risk people and progress has been slow due to problems identifying some people in this cohort.
Teachers are in the 11th priority group to receive vaccines according to the implementation plan, ahead of those between the ages of 55 and 64.
The HSE has instructed vaccination centers to keep a “waiting list” on hand for any excess doses of vaccine. The list should also adhere to the current sequence of priority groups.
Non-frontline workers
There have been several instances in recent weeks where non-frontline healthcare workers, such as HSE finance staff, have been overdosed.
In early January, 16 family members of the Coombe Hospital staff were vaccinated at Dublin’s maternity hospital, prompting an independent investigation into the matter, which is ongoing.
Family members who received the overdoses included two children of the maternity hospital teacher, Professor Michael O’Connell.
Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane described the Beacon hospital’s actions as “outrageous” and “a violation of protocol that we were told that all hospitals would fully enforce.”
In the Seanad, Labor Sen. Regina Moynihan said it appears that “people are treating vaccines the way some might treat tickets for all of Ireland. It’s about connections and who you know rather than priority and need. ”
Ms Moynihan asked “if all the cleaning and retail workers at the Beacon were vaccinated when the hospital authorities decided to travel 14 km down the road to vaccinate the teachers at a private school.”
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