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Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that what happened at Beacon Hospital last week was “very, very bad” and “completely unacceptable.”
It emerged on Friday that the hospital had administered 20 vaccines to teachers at a private school in Bray.
Speaking this afternoon, Mr. Martin said that it was “disgusting to people” for such a thing to happen.
He said vaccines belong to the people of Ireland and that the priority to date has been for the most vulnerable.
Martin said the HSE is overseeing an examination of what happened.
He said clear protocols have been established in terms of prioritization and how surplus vaccines will be used.
Previously, the national leader of the HSE vaccine program, Damien McCallion, said it was very disappointing to see what happened at Beacon Hospital.
McCallion said the HSE was unhappy with the situation and a review is underway.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, she said very clear guidelines were issued on how backup lists should be operated and were not followed.
The HSE is satisfied that the high-risk groups that were first identified for vaccination have received the first dose of the vaccine, along with the staff from those groups, he added.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin says the use of surplus Covid-19 vaccines at Beacon Hospital was “disgusting to the people,” adding that “the vaccines belong to the people of Ireland.” pic.twitter.com/FTuZWsY9sc
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 29, 2021
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McCallion said the healthcare worker portal was shut down last Friday because vaccination for that group is largely complete.
He said some early green outbreaks are being observed as a result of the vaccination program with reductions in outbreaks in nursing homes and among healthcare workers.
McCallion said Ireland should receive more than 200,000 vaccinations this week and that GPs will administer many of them to those over 70.
He added that about a million vaccines will be received next month, which “will be a welcome improvement.”
Almost 800,000 Covid Vaccines Administered in Ireland
New Covid-19 vaccination figures from the Health Service Executive show that 786,569 doses were administered as of last Friday.
Of these, 567,023 were first doses and 219,546 were second doses.
18,439 doses were administered to Group 4, those in the very high-risk group aged 16 to 69 years.
The latest estimates from the Health Services Executive put the number of people in Group 4 at 250,000, an increase from previous estimates of around 150,000 people.
The HSE has said that this group is being identified by hospitals and specialists, and GPs are also expected to help with the task.
The Taoiseach also said there has been “no indication” that the UK will provide vaccines to Ireland in the short term.
Martin said he spoke to Boris Johnson six weeks ago and it was “very clear” that he would have to “vaccinate his people first” and they are “some distance from that.”
He said there had been no contact since then and no indication from British government-level officials in terms of offering vaccines.
However, he added: “Any vaccine that is available, if we require it, of course we will accept it, but there has been no offer at this particular time.”
In relation to the possibility of the United Kingdom offering Ireland the leftover Covid-19 vaccines, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that he spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson six weeks ago and was “very clear” that he would have to “vaccinate his people first. ” pic.twitter.com/8tlAcCEhMg
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 29, 2021
Air bridges may be a possibility, says Nabarro
Dr. David Nabarro, the World Health Organization’s special envoy for Covid-19, has said he is hopeful that there may be “some degree” of international travel this summer.
Speaking on Today with Claire Byrne, she said she is hopeful that we can get to a point where authorities in Spain, for example, can speak “very seriously” with authorities in Ireland about whether or not there is evidence that the risks and the response capacity in both Spain and Ireland is the same.
If we achieve “that equalization of risk and response capacity” between the two countries, he said, then “it makes absolute sense” to install an airlift.
“So I’m still hopeful that these kinds of discussions will happen and that there are places that the Irish can travel to during the summer,” said Dr. Nabarro.
“It may not be everywhere, because it will largely depend on what is happening in different parts of Europe, but I think there will be some places, I am hopeful about that.”
He said those who have received both doses of a vaccine will likely find themselves with “a bypass entry” at the sites and will be able to travel more easily.
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