Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I extend my thanks to all of the witnesses, everyone in the HSE and all the workers across the HSE, who are doing a fantastic job. We really appreciate the hard work and sacrifice across the board. A few members of this committee mentioned the flu vaccine. I refer specifically to the nasal flu vaccine available for two to 12-year-olds. I believe there is a surplus of this nasal vaccine and it has not been taken up in the manner the HSE hoped it would. Why was the decision made not to distribute this vaccine within the school system, as happens with other vaccines? Can this decision be reversed and the vaccine distributed in schools? Parents sometimes have difficulty taking time off work and many of the vaccination slots at the weekend have been taken up. Availability during the week is quite wide but, of course, children are in school and parents are at work. Can we distribute the nasal vaccine within schools over the next couple of weeks because I believe they have a relatively short shelf life? If the HSE has purchased them, can we not find a way for them to reach the people for whom they are intended?