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Ireland may request other European countries to share stored Covid-19 vaccines amid concerns about the reliability of manufacturer AstraZeneca’s delivery commitments in the coming months.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has asked the vaccine working group to examine what “legitimate avenues” can be used to increase government options following reports of large numbers of AstraZeneca vaccines not being used in Germany, Italy and France.
Donnelly on Thursday expressed serious concern about the reliability of AstraZeneca’s deliveries, saying its delivery forecast had changed three times in a week.
In the first use of European Union controls on the export of vaccines manufactured in the bloc, Italy yesterday blocked a shipment of 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine destined for Australia. The Rome government rejected an export permit and notified the European Commission, which did not object, authorities said.
Growing concern
Donnelly came under pressure on the Dáil to order the task force to unilaterally secure supplies amid growing concern from TDs and GPs about the timing of the launch.
Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy said the commission had said countries are free to make their own deals rather than wait for deliveries through the EU system. Donnelly said that “certainly, if there are EU countries that don’t want to use all of their AstraZeneca doses, we will surely take them.”
There was concern about the lack of data on AstraZeneca jab use among older people, but Donnelly said that “the emerging and ongoing evidence on AstraZeneca in the field is very positive.”
“If there are other supplies that we can access, the working group will certainly look to see what they might be.”
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is examining evidence from UK studies that appear to show the AstraZeneca jab to be effective in older people.
When asked if the committee was considering recommending the use of this vaccine in people over the age of 70, the chair, Professor Karina Butler, said she was “keeping everything under review as [it] wishes for [the] more efficient, effective and safe deployment of vaccines given their tremendous potential impact ”.
Pharmacists have asked the government to ensure that its staff, and not just pharmacists, are vaccinated before mass vaccination begins at their outlets next month. The Irish Pharmacy Union said discussions are underway with the HSE and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland about pharmacists’ participation in the program, and the Government expects up to 250,000 doses per week to be administered in the second quarter if supplies available.
Risk
An HSE spokeswoman said it was “working closely” with pharmacists to launch a model and that the talks were “at an advanced stage.”
The HSE yesterday defended the launch of the vaccine, saying it was “only limited by supply.” He said the shortfall in AstraZeneca deliveries would mean that 25,000 fewer people than planned would be hit between last week and this week.
People who have conditions that put them at risk for severe Covid-19 disease and who are between the ages of 16 and 69 will begin receiving their vaccinations starting next week.
The state’s drug regulator said yesterday that it had received 17 reports of elderly patients who died after receiving the vaccine to date, but that all of those who died had underlying conditions or concurrent illnesses and a small number had tested positive for the disease.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority said deaths due to underlying diseases or natural causes will continue to occur, even after vaccination.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) reported another 39 deaths of Covid-19 patients and 462 new cases of the disease on Thursday.
Professor Philip Nolan, a member of Nphet, said the number of cases was falling by 2 to 4 percent per day and halving every 18 to 36 days.
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