Closing our borders would be ineffective against Covid-19, says Europe's public health chief

Irish people hoping to holiday in destinations such as Spain may have to think again. The European Commission's public health director John Ryan says borders should stay open for essential travel — but he doubts that holidaymakers will be able to travel this summer. Picture: Spanish Embassy Commercial Office

Closing borders at this point in the pandemic is not effective, according to a senior Irish public health official with the European Commission, who also said Ireland benefitted from joining the EU vaccine deal.

John Ryan, director for public health with DG-SANTE — the European Commission's directorate-general for health and food safety — said he doubts Irish people will be able to travel to Greece or Spain this summer, but that it is important to keep borders open for essential travel.

“We are not thinking that closing frontiers is the solution — it’s a solution if you have no cases in your own country," he said at an online event hosted by European Movement Ireland and the European Commission Representation in Ireland on the EU vaccines strategy. "Borders are not the best place to carry out public health measures." 

Boosting screening and contact tracing is more effective at this point, he said.

Speaking at Tuesday's online event on the EU vaccines strategy, John Ryan emphasised the importance of boosting screening and contact tracing. Picture: European Commission

Mr Ryan said Ireland has benefitted from the joint approach to vaccines — a small population size would make it difficult to order them alone, as the US has done.

He dismissed fears that the rollout is going too slowly, saying: "We are not sitting on a stockpile of vaccines, we are sitting on a promise of a stockpile of vaccines." 

It is “not correct” to say the US or the UK invested more in the vaccine process, he said. Much of the EU money has gone into research and cannot be measured only by the cost paid per dose.

Dr Nuala O'Connor administering the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine to Cathy Daly, 96, and her husband Tim Daly, 94, at Elmwood Medical Practice, Frankfield, Cork.  Picture: Larry Cummins

The European Commission aims to have 70% of the adult population in the EU vaccinated by the end of August, and 80% of healthcare workers vaccinated by the end of March.

Agreements for 2.3bn doses are in place for six vaccines, although only three are approved so far. 

Mr Ryan said neither the Russian vaccine-makers nor the Chinese have applied for approval in the EU.

Ireland's vaccine rollout

Figures for vaccination up to last Wednesday show Ireland at 5.4% of the population vaccinated compared to 10.8% in Malta, and 6.9% in Denmark.

However, other countries — including Holland, Lithuania, and Luxembourg — have a lower percentage complete to this point.

The vaccine rollout is different in each country, with some offering drive-in clinics, or vaccinating in disused concert halls.

Vaccination priorities

The priority lists are also different, and he said calls in Ireland for Travellers to be prioritised echo the debates in other countries around marginalised groups.

And Mr Ryan warned: “There has been a huge vaccine hesitancy movement developing over a few years. We saw this two years ago when there were huge measles outbreaks in Europe including in Ireland.” 

Separately, the EU justice commissioner yesterday said Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, and Sweden have 10 days to justify their ramped-up border restrictions.

“It is a necessity to go back to a coordinated approach,” he said.

• Tuesday's online event with John Ryan and Andy Klom, acting head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, about the EU's vaccines strategy, is available to view here on Youtube.