Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The main ask of the witnesses is that there would be explicit and prominent public health messaging from the Department of Health and the HSE urging people to take higher doses of vitamin D supplements in consultation with their GPs, particularly if they are in the at-risk groups. The witnesses are saying there is no real downside to taking vitamin D. They are also asking for the opt-out model, particularly for nursing homes. Their figures suggested that one in four of us are vitamin D deficient, particularly in winter. One cannot really overdose on vitamin D. It was suggested there would be clearer messaging coming from NPHET. The committee has invited NPHET to come before us and we will raise with it the whole issue of vitamin D. We will also have the Minister for Health. Again, we can look at that.

The witnesses spoke about a dosage of 800 to 1,000 mcg a day. The point was made that many people are actually being proactive about their own health and shelves being emptied of vitamin D. While people are acting on this themselves, we need that public messaging and explicit guidelines.

Vitamin D is one of the building blocks of our immune system. Several years ago, the view on cancer was that one's immune system was not really important. We know now from evidence that it is vital and our immune system breaks down cancers every day. We all have cancers in our systems which one's immune system breaks down. It is important having one of those building blocks in relation to that.

Is there anything else the witnesses want this committee to look at? We will make recommendations. Vitamin D deficiency is common across all age groups in the Irish population. Up to 47% of 18 to 39-year-olds are deficient. Up to 60% of 50 to 59-year-olds are deficient and 64% of over 80s with 80% of those in nursing homes. That is the evidence of the importance of nursing home residents getting vitamin D. Up to 94% in dark skin or Irish BAME, Black, Asian and minority ethnic, communities are vitamin D deficient. The groups with the highest prevalence of vitamin D deficiency are those with obesity, dark skin and the older population, the very groups with the highest risk to Covid-19. The witnesses pointed out recent studies have also shown the significantly lower risk of ICU admission and deaths among Covid-19 patients who were supplemented with vitamin D.

Do the witnesses want to reiterate any of these points? Is there anything they want to ask of the committee? We all accept there needs to be clear messaging. Will someone do a summary?