Seanad debates

Monday, 14 June 2021

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

10:30 am

Photo of Robbie GallagherRobbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have been contacted by many people over 60 years of age who feel aggrieved they are still waiting on their second vaccine slot despite the fact that many younger cohorts are now fully vaccinated. Many over-60s feel they are vulnerable to the virus and many medically high-risk individuals are in the same boat. The gap between first and second dose of AstraZeneca was originally 12 weeks but I understand there are recommendations the gap can be reduced to 8 weeks. I appreciate that was the medical advice at the time, but 12 weeks is a long time when we compare it with four weeks for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

When people received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the advice was that, after four weeks, they were free to meet unvaccinated people and it was safe to do so. In my opinion, the arrival of the Delta variant changes that advice completely. That variant is widespread in the UK, accounting for up to 90% of infections.The fear is that it will come here if it has not already done so.

Many countries have already adopted different stances on vaccines. Canada, France, Spain and Finland, to name but a few, have decided to use different vaccines for the second shot. Indeed, some medical experts are of the opinion that by giving a different shot the second time, it increases the recipient's chance of not getting the virus. The time has come for the national immunisation advisory committee and the HSE to update their advice. We are in a race against time to vaccinate as many people as possible against the new variant, the Delta variant. I ask the Leader to contact the Minister with a view to asking the national immunisation advisory committee and HSE to update their advice as quickly as possible.

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