Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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619. To ask the Minister for Health the number of nasal spray child flu vaccines administered to date; the date of expiration for the circa 600,000 nasal spray doses bought by the HSE in 2020; the steps he will take to ensure increased uptake before their expiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43468/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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1.95 million doses of influenza vaccine, including 1.35 million doses of the Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (QIV) for administration to all persons in an at-risk group and 600,000 doses of the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV) for all children aged from 2 to 12 years old inclusive, have been made available for the current influenza vaccination programme. The amount of vaccine made available for this winter is almost double the amount of vaccine administered last winter.

The 600,000 doses of LAIV procured will expire in mid-January or mid-February, depending on the batch. The datesspecific quantities of vaccine will expire are the 13th and 14th of January and the 12th and 15th of February.

Over 1.33 million of the 1.35 million doses of flu vaccine available this winter have been distributed to GPs, pharmacists and other vaccination sites. Deliveries are continuing and stock is expected to be depleted by the end of the year. In addition, over 460,000 doses of the LAIV for administration to children aged from 2 to 12 have been distributed.

As of 10th December, almost 950,000 claims for reimbursement from GPs and pharmacists for the administration QIV and approximately 193,000 claims for the administration of LAIV have been received.

Given the lower than expected uptake of the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine for children, I have approved the expansion of the use of LAIV in all children aged from 2 years to 17 years inclusive, for the current winter period.