Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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902. To ask the Minister for Health the details of the requirements for pharmacists who participate in the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine; if those whose CPR training is not up-to-date can self-declare; if provisions have been made to supply them with additional adrenaline autoinjectors for use in the event of adverse reactions; if consideration has been given to the disposal of items used during or as a consequence of the administration programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5987/21]

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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904. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department or the HSE will be providing pharmacists with a standard operation procedure for the Covid-19 administration programme; if not, if they will be asked to devise it themselves or individually; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5989/21]

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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905. To ask the Minister for Health the storage provisions that will have to be made available to the pharmacists involved in administering the Covid-19 vaccine. [5990/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 902, 904 and 905 together.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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903. To ask the Minister for Health if pharmacist assistants and other staff members who will be involved in the programme of Covid-19 vaccine administration will be vaccinated alongside pharmacists. [5988/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.

Vaccine allocation is a matter for my Department and further information is available here: .

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is the responsibility of the HSE.

The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.

The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus. The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable. 

The next group to be vaccinated (Group 3) are those aged 70 and older in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, and 70-74. Vaccination of this group will begin in February. 

Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in direct patient contact roles will be vaccinated in Group 2. This includes HCWs working in public, private, and voluntary settings. Other HCWs, not in direct patient contact, will be vaccinated in Group 4.

All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.

The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.