Reintroducing measures to fight Covid-19 can't be ruled out, CMO warns

Dr Tony Holohan believes that mask-wearing, self-isolation with the help of employers, and "robust public health surveillance" could be needed into the winter. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The reintroduction of measures to fight Covid-19 cannot be ruled out, the CMO will tell Oireachtas members tomorrow.

Dr Tony Holohan will address the Oireachtas Health Committee on Wednesday, where he will update the committee on the country's epidemiological situation.

Dr Holohan will tell the committee that the rise of the Delta variant means that vaccination alone is unlikely to control the spread of the virus.

"In the context of this highly transmissible variant, it is unlikely that vaccination alone, even at the high levels of vaccine coverage that we have now achieved, will bring the effective reproduction number below 1 such that we will achieve suppression of the disease.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

"This means that through this coming autumn and winter, possibly in the face of high levels of infection, we will remain dependent upon public understanding and buy-in to the basic public health measures in order to minimise opportunities for this virus to transmit."

This means that mask-wearing, self-isolation with the help of employers, and "robust public health surveillance" would be needed into the winter. However, Dr Holohan will say that further public health measures cannot be ruled out.

"We cannot predict with certainty the future trajectory of the disease and, consequently, we cannot fully rule out the possibility that the reintroduction of measures may be required in the future.

"We must continue to ensure our response is agile and flexible, with an ability to pivot rapidly and respond to any emerging threat."

Dr Holohan's statement says that the vaccine programme, which has reached 90% of adults with at least one dose, would allow for a regime focused less on restrictions and more on personal judgement in the medium-term.

"Covid-19 vaccines are providing very effective protection from severe illness and have fundamentally changed the risk profile of this disease. This will facilitate a transition in our approach to managing the pandemic over the medium term, entailing a shift from a focus on regulation and population-wide restrictions to one based on public health advice which will facilitate the exercise of personal judgment and personal protective behaviours."

The committee will also hear from the Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), Dr Karina Butler, who will speak about the need for booster shots for different cohorts. She will tell the committee that boosters and flu shots should be given together to those approved.

"As we head into the influenza season, NIAC has also recommended that the Covid-19 and the seasonal influenza vaccines may be given at the same time or at any interval apart. This will allow the uptake of both vaccines to be optimised. 

"This year an adjuvanted quadrivalent influenza vaccine is recommended for those aged 65 years and older as it provides better protection for this age group. NIAC continues to examine evidence regarding the need for a booster Covid-19 vaccine for other groups. 

"These include those at increased risk of severe Covid-19 disease, other older persons, and healthcare workers because of their role in providing essential health services."