Public confidence in vaccine rollout 'dented', says Sinn Féin leader

Mary Lou McDonald blames the Government's poor communication regarding the rollout, adding that there are concerns about both supply and distribution.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said: "It's now very clear that there are concerns not just about supply, but equally about the distribution of vaccines."  Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Mary Lou McDonald says the Government's failure to properly communicate on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout is denting public confidence.

The Sinn Féin leader said: "It's now very clear that there are concerns not just about supply, but equally about the distribution of vaccines." 

If we're experiencing these level of difficulties at this point, when the rollout of vaccine is relatively low, well then the question arises as to how the system will cope and how it will deliver on vaccinations for the entire adult population.

She said that while the public wants the Government to have ambitious targets, "we want them to meet those targets".

"So that means communications, logistics, have to be tightened up, we have to be assured that we have the right resources, including the right levels of staffing, to ensure they are actually delivered out on the ground," she said.

HSE boss Paul Reid has acknowledged there have been problems with the delivery of vaccines to “a small number of general practices” and issues around communication.

The responsibility for the delay in deliveries and missed deadlines was down to AstraZeneca, not the HSE, Mr Reid said.

The most vulnerable groups were being vaccinated and that was positive, but he said that AstraZeneca delivery delays were causing “frustration and angst".

Ms McDonald noted "many cases of distress from GPs, and from their patients who had expected to be vaccinated, only to be badly let down, I mean, that shouldn't be happening. 

That's not acceptable at all, and it certainly doesn't build any confidence."

Ms McDonald said her concerns now extend beyond the issue of supply, and are about delivery.

"Nobody has a vested interest in the vaccine programme being anything other than an incredible success and unfortunately, today, what we are seeing is worrying," she said.

"We have to ensure that the logistics are right, that the communication is right, and that's not the case."

Northern Ireland is considerably further along with its vaccine programme and will soon look to unwind some of its restrictions as virus numbers continue on a downward trend. The Sinn Féin leader said that she is worried that we could again see two different levels of restrictions on either side of the border as a result.

"We have had that concern from the get-go," Ms McDonald said. "The island is the single epidemiological unit.

"The way to keep any of us safe is to keep all of us safe, and what we have needed from the start has been a single harmonised plan for the island in its totality."