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Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said that the European Medicines Agency will carry out a final review of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine on December 29 and, if approved, it could start shipping in Ireland in early January.
Donnelly said the EMA indicated today that the approval of a second Moderna vaccine will be decided at a second meeting on January 12.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Donnelly said the EMA is also considering the credentials of the AstroZeneca / Oxford vaccine and a fourth Jansen vaccine.
He said “this is good news … we now have the lowest Covid rate in the EU.”
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Previously, the Taoiseach told the Dáil that Pfizer / BioNTech yesterday applied for market authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine from the European Medical Agency.
Micheál Martin said Emer Cooke, the head of EMA, briefed EU health ministers this morning, including Donnelly.
He said the vaccine will be evaluated no later than December 29 and “maybe sooner.”
Labor leader Alan Kelly reiterated calls for a “vaccine minister” to allow the Covid-19 vaccine task force to carry out its duties as quickly as possible.
Mr. Martin told Mr. Kelly that he created the task force and “will stay on top of this.”
“This is an issue of national priority that goes straight to the top of government,” the Taoiseach said.
He said he was sure the Department of Health and HSE had a lot of experience and knowledge. Mr. Martin said there was a large volume of work to be done, but it would be done.
Taoiseach says that the work of the Covid-19 task force is “progressing well.” Says nine ultra-low-temperature storage containers have been obtained | https://t.co/XzRD9mflrR pic.twitter.com/Q2dlMkAVUY
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 2, 2020
As for the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, he said the infrastructure to store the vaccine at -70 ° C was already being installed in Ireland.
He said that this equipment will be commissioned in the middle of next week.
The Taoiseach said the EMA was considering “early January” in terms of evaluating the market authorization for the Moderna vaccine.
Kelly said that due to a number of logistics, procurement, warehousing and IT problems, “someone must be sitting at the cabinet table permanently,” adding that there can be “no red tape or red tape” delaying matters.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, she said vaccine decisions will save lives, businesses, jobs, and change society.
“We have to make sure we maximize this and get it right,” he said.
Labor leader Alan Kelly repeats his view that a minister is needed to be responsible for launching a Covid-19 vaccine. Says the Covid-19 working group should be permanent and not just meet at different times | https://t.co/XzRD9mflrR pic.twitter.com/CZKd0cqZTn
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 2, 2020
Latest coronavirus stories
The launch of any vaccine in Ireland will follow EMA approval.
Yesterday, the Cabinet approved an advance purchase agreement for 875,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Moderna.
The doses are expected to be delivered early in the new year, as soon as there is EMA approval.
Ireland is already enrolled in four other vaccines.
The UK today became the first country in the world to approve a Covid-19 vaccine after its Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency approved the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine for use.
The latest figures put the number of Covid-19 patients in the hospital here at 228, an increase of four from yesterday.
Of these, 31 are in intensive care, unchanged from yesterday’s figures.
Later, Mr. Martin said that the government was seeking legal advice on additional steps that could be taken to support the new Covid-19 testing regime for people traveling to Ireland from out of state.
The co-leader of the Social Democrats, Róisín Shortall, raises international travel. Question about the supervision of those coming from the Orange countries, what traceability arrangements are in place after private testing and what safeguards are there for “Dublin dodge” | https://t.co/XzRD9mflrR pic.twitter.com/vVwHmLRXlc
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 2, 2020
However, the co-leader of the Social Democrats Róisín Shortall has said that his response to the Dáil “does not inspire confidence” because it is already December.
She said Ireland is likely to experience a lot of travel between now and the New Year.
Ms. Shortall maintained that it was “really late” to seek legal advice at this time.
The Taoiseach responded that “additional measures will be taken at airports,” including random checks to ensure that travelers have the specified documentation regarding conducting Covid-19 testing.
Mr Martin added that Ireland had taken “a conservative approach” when it came to travel.
He said the expectation was that the number of people entering or leaving the state would drop by more than 90%.
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