Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1021. To ask the Minister for Health if the 'flu vaccine will be made available to all schoolgoing children free of charge; if so, if it will be made available before they return to school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21188/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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To mitigate as much as possible the pressure on the health services that would result from a coincidence of the winter flu season and a resurgence of COVID-19, there will be an expanded provision of seasonal influenza vaccine this year. All of those in the at-risk groups aged from 6 months up, including healthcare workers, will be able to access the vaccination without charges. All children aged from 2 to 12 years inclusive will also have access to vaccination without charges.

The Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (QIV) will be made available to all persons in an at-risk group from 6 months up, while the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV), which is delivered via nasal drops rather than by injection, will be made available to all children aged from 2 to 12 years old inclusive.

As a result of a delay in delivery of the Quadrivalent vaccine from the manufacturer, the start date for vaccinations of those in the at-risk groups is likely to be late September or early October, the same as in previous years.

Delivery of the nasal vaccine used to be used for children is not affected, and that is expected to be available in mid-October.