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Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said the government “must be open” to reviewing the priority list for Covid vaccines.
He told Dáil he was “understanding” of the concerns raised by people with cystic fibrosis and other underlying conditions.
I was answering questions from Colm Burke of Fine Gael, who said that about 2,000 people on dialysis should be considered and are on the priority list.
Donnelly said a similar question is being raised about people with other conditions that make them highly vulnerable to the virus.
He said that the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (CANI) has established the principles on which they provide advice, which have been endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and agreed to by the Government.
“However, it is a living document,” he said.
“As new evidence comes out and we learn more and get new vaccines and find out more, we must be open to reviewing prioritization.
“The position before any review is that the prioritization of the CANI is what we go with, but of course we must be open to review this.”
Donnelly also said that all citizens are expected to receive a vaccine by the end of September.
Minister Donnelly said the plan hinges on the supply of vaccines and that a more precise schedule for the vaccine launch will be given when the Oxford / Astrazeneca vaccine is approved, which is due to happen on January 29.
Minister Donnelly expressed disappointment after several stories emerged in which the vaccination prioritization strategy was not followed.
He welcomed the appointment of a senior physician at Coombe Hospital in Dublin to lead the launch of the vaccine.
An independent review will be conducted on how 16 people, who were related to hospital employees, received a vaccine.
Donnelly has asked the Health Service Executive for a report on the other incidents at Rotuda Hospital in Dublin and at Kerry University Hospital.
He told the Dáil that Ireland is on track to vaccinate 140,000 people by the end of the week. This is despite a 50% reduction this week in the supply of the Pfizer / BioNtech vaccine, which Donnelly said reduced the “buffer to a very small level.”
The supply schedule is expected to return to normal starting next week.
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