Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The welcome announcement of the recommendation of vaccines for five to 11-year-olds is something I am strongly in favour of. I seek clarity for the public because we need it. Will this be done through mass vaccination centres or GPs? The vaccine is recommended for those with underlying illnesses or those living with a child with complex needs or with somebody older who is immunocompromised. I understand that but I have a concern about how we kick this off and the language used. Already a discourse is emanating that this is really just for those three categories. I am 100% in favour of this and very pro-vaccine. I urge the Taoiseach today to clarify that while these three cohorts are being prioritised, we are promoting this vaccine for all children. I believe from the discourse I am hearing that there will be challenges on this, more so than in the rest of the vaccine roll-out. I urge the Taoiseach to start an information campaign immediately to deal with this issue from today.

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