Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 163: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the plans for swine influenza vaccination of persons over 65 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36527/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Health Service Executive is finalising its plans to offer everyone in the state pandemic vaccine. The vaccine is arriving in small quantities initially and total delivery will be spread over a 12 month period and therefore we need an ordered sequence of giving the vaccine to the people most in need first. The National Immunisation Advisory Committee and the Pandemic Influenza Advisory Committee have advised on the priority groups for vaccination based on the epidemiology of the disease and the availability of vaccine. The advice is that the vaccine should be given to the population in the following order:

Those with chronic illness aged between 6 months and 65 years and all pregnant women of more than 14 weeks gestation

Health Care Workers (HCWs)

Children between 6 months and 18 years

Adults >65 years

The rest of the population.

It is envisaged that Mass Vaccination Teams comprising of doctors, nurses and administration staff will vaccinate the over 65s in specially created clinics.