Mandatory vaccination could be ‘necessary for the overall good’ NIAC chair says
Mandatory vaccination could be “necessary for the overall good”, one of Ireland’s leading immunisation experts has said.
Professor Karina Butler, chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), said the controversial measure would have to be given “careful consideration.”
Her comments come after minutes from a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) revealed the issue is to be discussed by public health experts.
“I think this is something that really has to be thought about. There are pros and cons to mandatory vaccination,” Prof Butler told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne on Monday.
“I know this has been looked at by the department and a paper is being done on that and careful consideration will be given to it.
“It’s always preferable if people can look at vaccinations, have the information, and be able to make informed decisions for themselves and get it.
“But there can be situations where making a vaccine a requirement is necessary for the overall good.
“But that’s being looked at at the moment.”
Recently published minutes of Nphet on December 16 said the issue would be discussed “at a later date”.
A paper will set out the “relevant ethical and legal considerations pertaining to this topic”, the minutes state.
Sinn Féin’s health spokesman, David Cullinane, said he would not support the move.
“The voluntary vaccination programme has served us well. Mandatory vaccination would be a mistake” he wrote on Twitter.
“People were given the opportunity to listen to the medical & scientific experts & made their own judgments.
“Vaccines work but the voluntary system in my view works best.”
Earlier, Health Service Executive chief executive Paul Reid indicated he would prefer vaccines to remain voluntary.
“I would prefer to be winning people’s heart and minds,” he said, referring to Ireland’s already high take-up of vaccines.
Mr Reid said any decision would ultimately be up to the Government.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has previously backed the voluntary system over compelling the public to get jabbed.
Speaking to Newstalk in December, less than a week after the Nphet meeting where the issue was raised, Mr Martin noted Ireland’s high vaccination levels and said there were “no guarantees” mandatory vaccination would work.
“I’m personally of the view that we stick with the voluntary system,” he said.
“It’s worked in Ireland, more than anywhere else in the world, at 94% fully vaccinated.
“You go across Europe and you’re looking at 60% vaccination in some places.
“Some of those countries are now talking about mandatory vaccination.
“There’s no guarantee that will work, by the way, in itself.
“I was listening to one prime minister talking about fines of €600 every three months – that’s what a mandatory regime looks like.
“In my view, we have to keep pushing the voluntary approach, which has achieved an enormous amount.”
Mr Martin has previously hit out at those who have not been vaccinated, saying they were having a “disproportionate” impact on the health service and that it was “clear as daylight” they are endangering their own health and the health of others.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid says there is "continual strain" on the health system as more than 1,000 people are now in hospital with Covid-19.
The news comes after days of record Covid-19 case numbers in Ireland, following the arrival of the Omicron variant late last year.
Mr Reid said on Monday that the pressure on the health is in part due to rising hospital cases but also as a result of significant staff absences due to Covid-19.
He said that it was good news that the proportion of people entering hospital was “significantly down on what it would be in previous waves”.
However, he said that despite indications that Omicron causes a less severe illness, “there is no-one in hospital with a mild illness”.
“One good positive thing – we’re not seeing the same level of patients needing advanced respiratory supports,” he told RTÉ radio.
The HSE boss said that around 14,000 to 15,000 staff are absent due to Covid-19.
