People with underlying health conditions to be moved up vaccine priority list

Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Government has approved a revision of the Vaccine Allocation Strategy, the Minister for Health has confirmed tonight.

Under the changes announced this evening, people deemed at very high risk, such as those actively receiving treatment for cancer, will be moved to Cohort 4 and vaccinated after the over 70s.

People aged 16 to 69 deemed at high risk, such as those with a severe mental illness, or with chronic heart disease, will be in Cohort 5.

It was agreed that the strategy which was approved last December would be kept under review and would be amended according to changing evidence.

New evidence has provided a more detailed analysis of underlying conditions that may increase the risk of developing severe disease or death.

This has allowed the National Immunisation Advisory Council (NIAC) to better identify those conditions which place an individual at very high or high risk of severe disease if they contract the virus.

The NIAC and the Department recommended revising the strategy, a decision which was endorsed by Nphet and today was approved by Government.

Minister Donnelly said: "Accelerating the vaccination of those with certain pre-existing conditions is consistent with the advice given to Member States by the ECDC.

"It also upholds the principles of minimising harm and fairness that underpin Ireland’s Covid-19 Vaccination Programme by aiming to reduce the disproportionate burden those with underlying conditions face in terms of adverse outcomes from Covid-19.

"The NIAC continues to monitor data around this disease and indeed emerging data on effectiveness of vaccines on a rolling basis."

Medical conditions and the magnitude of the risk they pose will continue to be monitored and periodically reviewed.