Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

780. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to confusing wording regarding self-isolation on the HSELive website (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8353/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

781. To ask the Minister for Health the reason 800 persons outside the top two priority groups of nursing home residents and staff and front-line healthcare workers currently being inoculated have received Covid-19 vaccines; the location and reasons given for inoculation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8371/21]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

782. To ask the Minister for Health the reason persons providing homecare services to the elderly, vulnerable and those with underlying conditions are not being prioritised for vaccination; if he will seek to amend this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8372/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 (Group 3) to be vaccinated 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 this month.

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.

The HSE has published a document on the sequencing of COVID-19 vaccination of frontline healthcare workers, which provides more detail. It is available at the following link:

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.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

783. To ask the Minister for Health the status of public usage of the Covid-19 tracker application by month in tabular form; if there are plans to include vaccination information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8380/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Thank you for your question on the COVID Tracker App which is a valuable digital tool that can be utilised by the public to help suppress COVID-19.

Since the Health Service Executive has operational responsibility for the App, I have asked them to respond directly regarding the operational use data.

Regarding the inclusion of vaccination data, I'm pleased to advise that both first and second dose vaccination data is now available on the COVID Tracker App. As of 12th February 175,238 first-dose vaccines have been administered and 89,999 second-dose vaccinations administered.

Also, the Health Service Executive has just made data available on the App by vaccine type.I am able to advise that data is now reported in the COVID Tracker App by vaccination type with the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccine dosages reported.

The implementation of this information onto the COVID Tracker App for general use was a result of co-operation and dedication by a range of staff across the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive, executed at pace and under the difficult working environment that we all find ourselves in due to COVID-19.