It's shambolic, it's a mess — and we can't even go out for a drink

Our envy at the lifting of restrictions across the water is only adding to our disquiet about Ireland's vaccine rollout

England's reopening of shops, gyms, and outdoor bars — such as this impromptu set-up at Old Compton St in Soho — add to our frustration at the lack of progress here in Ireland. Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA

We just can’t catch a break, can we? Our nearest neighbours have not only got more vaccines in arms than we do, but they are already back in the pub sinking pints.

The scenes from London and across England — including many messages from Irish friends and family enjoying themselves — have given us pangs of jealousy. 

On Monday, Ireland took its first fragile steps back to normality, with the easing of severe restrictions on our personal liberties.

As if in a bid to burst our balloon before it fully inflated, bad news arrived about our vaccine rollout.

Shoppers surged back to stores such as this one on Oxford St, London, as England enjoyed further easing of lockdown restrictions. Picture: Victoria Jones/PA

It came not from our Government or from our health minister, who we pay handsomely to run the country. Instead, it came following a marathon meeting of an unelected body of doctors, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC).

The troublesome AstraZeneca vaccine was again in focus. On foot of a very small number of cases of blood clotting, we were told it will now only be given out to people aged between 60 and 69. Interesting to note that we are not calling it the Oxford vaccine any more, but that’s a side point.

Once again, public policy was being decided outside of the Cabinet room and again on the basis of an abundance of caution.

Cue confusion.

Up to 15,000 people who were due to get their dose yesterday had their appointments cancelled by text message late on Monday night. Radio shows were flooded with queries from listeners as to what to do. 

Spinning classes resumed at gyms, including this one in London, as businesses such as outdoor pubs and restaurants, non-essential shops, and salons were allowed reopen in England. Picture: Victoria Jones/PA

Then came even more bad news. The latest game-changer, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — a single-dose jab as opposed to the two-dose AstraZeneca — is now presenting similar difficulties in the US, and has been temporarily shelved there and in Europe.

News that all AstraZeneca clinics, except those arranged for certain people over 60, have been cancelled for the rest of this week, was a hammer blow in an already chaotic mess.

The HSE says it will continue to consider the revised NIAC guidance and “will advise further in terms of wider implications for the administration of the vaccination programme in due course”.

Slipping targets 

We are assured that the overall target of 82% of adults being vaccinated will be “largely met” by June. The “largely met” is a worrying shift in position from Government sources, indicating that there is slippage in the targets.

Then came news last night that the Government’s hotel quarantine system is not taking bookings for the weekend, raising all sorts of questions as to how travellers from an additional 16 countries are to be treated.

It is shambolic, it is a mess, and we deserve better

Minister's workload

As Labour leader Alan Kelly has repeatedly pointed out, putting Stephen Donnelly in charge of the HSE, the vaccine rollout, and also the hotel quarantine issue, was a mistake.

By any standard, that is too much for one person to be in charge of — and there are several members of Cabinet with light enough workloads who could ease the strain on Donnelly.

Every foul-up with the vaccine rollout only lengthens the time we remain imprisoned by this virus. Every calamity means another week without our freedoms. The events of this year have shown clearly that we are not all in this together, and the pain has not been shared out equally.