Health chiefs defend vaccination priority change amid anger from teachers and gardaí

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly defended the rearranged vaccine programme as 'more efficient, transparent, and effective'. Picture: Damien Storan

The priority list in the vaccination programme was rearranged based on “clinical and scientific advice”, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has insisted, in the face of anger from a range of sectors.

On Tuesday, the Government announced the national vaccination programme is to be changed to an age-based system, once those aged 70 years and older, the vulnerable, and people with underlying conditions are immunised.

Anger

The announcement was met with anger and frustration from several cohorts, particularly the gardaí and teachers’ unions, who had been prioritised in the previous model.

However, Mr Donnelly said the change to the programme will “make it more efficient, transparent and effective” and will vaccinate the “vulnerable as quickly as possible”.

“The age-based approach will make it more efficient and better meets objectives. It is not a measure of how valued or important people or their roles are to society or community. The main risk factor is age."

Prof Karina Butler, chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac), said the vaccine programme had been reviewed in light of the evidence which showed that age is the determining factor for severe incidence of the disease, hospitalisation, and death.

“The risk that goes along with each five-year or 10-year increase is much more differential than occupation,” she added.

Prof Butler cited research that someone who is aged between 55 and 65 years old is 70 times more likely to die due to Covid-19, and 20 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care units.

She said “the primary aim” was to minimise harm, protect against severe outcomes and to protect the healthcare system.

Cohort 9 of the programme refers to those “living or working in crowded settings”, which teaching unions had hoped would include them.

Travellers, Roma and homeless communities

However, both Prof Butler and Mr Donnelly said teachers would not be included in this category and it would refer to communities such as Travellers, Roma and homeless communities.

Chief clinical officer of the HSE Dr Colm Henry acknowledged it has been a “challenge” to identify those with underlying conditions to prioritise them for vaccination.

He said for individuals who have kidney disease or cancer, they are known to hospitals. However, for people with complicated diabetes or on at-home oxygen, for example, there is no register to find them all.

He added that the difficulty of sourcing and scheduling is “one last hill to climb” for the HSE.

On the vaccination of children, Prof Butler said there is currently no jab authorised for use on children.

She added that Niac is currently doing a “piece of work” to see when pregnant women who do not have an underlying condition should be vaccinated. She said the current advice is pregnant women are “not routinely recommended” to get the Covid-19 vaccine.