Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The figures cited by the Deputy in terms of first and second doses are from the Public Health England study. An important additional point to make is that while those figures are around individual protection, a much wider protection is afforded at a population level, and therefore, the chance and the risks fall. It is, therefore, very important from that perspective.

There has been no suggestion that we would switch out the second AstraZeneca dose for one of the mRNA vaccines, for instance. At this point, all the vaccines we have are committed to the various age cohorts that have opened up, with a first dose scheduled and then a second dose planned afterwards. We discussed 12 weeks versus eight weeks, as per as per the UK. As I said earlier, the second doses are already committed, having moved from 16 weeks to 12 weeks.

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