Martin: Vaccine delays not inevitable, despite latest Niac recommendations

Alan Kelly suggested the age priority system could be threatened by the new guidelines. File picture:Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Taoiseach has insisted delays in the vaccine rollout programme are not inevitable, despite the latest recommendations on the distribution of the jabs.

This follows the decision that the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine should only be used for over-50s as with the AstraZeneca jab.

"We have lost a number of weeks because of the various advices from Niac [the National Immunisation Advisory Committee], particularly on AstraZeneca and the cancellation of Johnson&Johnson," Micheál Martin told Northern Sound radio.

"The original target was to try and get 80% [of adult population] a first dose by the end of June and there has been changes to the schedule, there has been delays. We are still pursuing that target and going after that target."

The rollout has been given a boost with the recommendation that some under-50s who have had a Covid-19 infection within six months of their first dose do not need a second dose.

In a further boost, the largest delivery yet, 191,800, of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived into the country today.

In the Dáil, Labour leader Alan Kelly suggested the age priority system could be threatened by the new guidelines. 

Most of the 620,000 J&J vaccines will only arrive in late June, and Mr Kelly pointed out that, under the current priority list, people aged 50 to 59 should already have their first dose by then.

He asked Mr Martin: “How are you going to ensure that the Janssen (J&J) vaccine is used for 50-59-year-olds without skipping that cohort, and going down to younger cohorts, and then coming back to them?

"Is that being considered, or what is the plan? Because logistically, it's very difficult to see how it can work without doing so.” 

The Taoiseach told him: "In terms of the operational logistics, in terms of age cohorts, the HSE is working through that. It's very clear that we're going to have to get moving and get vaccinating with available vaccines as they come in."

He added: "The HSE will now take a number of days to go through the advice from Niac in respect of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, to work that into planning."

Figures released by the Department of Health show Ireland has now received 1,715,400 vaccine doses. Of those, 1.1m are from Pfizer/BioNTech and there are 14,400, so far unused, J&J shots.

A spokesperson said: “About 95% of available vaccines are administered within seven days of arrival.” 

Last week, 183,000 vaccines were administered nationwide.

Meanwhile, the European Commission's legal case against AstraZeneca opens in Brussels on May 26.

The commission said it is taking the pharmaceutical company to court for failing to respect vaccine delivery commitments. 

It said AstraZeneca will provide 70m doses in the second quarter, rather than the promised 180m.

AstraZeneca said it will “strongly defend” itself in court. The company insists it has complied with the terms of its contract.

“Following an unprecedented year of scientific discovery, very complex negotiations, and manufacturing challenges, our company is about to deliver almost 50m doses to European countries by the end of April, in line with our forecast,” it said in a statement.