Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

778. To ask the Minister for Health when he plans to resume the school immunisation programme in particular the HPV vaccine which is best administered to persons before they are 15 years of age. [11245/21]

Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

781. To ask the Minister for Health if provision will be made to allow children and others who missed the HPV vaccination to opt-in for vaccination when the scheme returns to schools given that large numbers of young children have missed out on the HPV vaccination over the past year. [11248/21]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 778 and 781 together.

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

Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

779. To ask the Minister for Health if the school vaccination teams now administering vaccines in nursing homes will cause a delay in the resuming of the school vaccinations once schools reopen. [11246/21]

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.

Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

780. To ask the Minister for Health if those students who have not yet received their second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine due to school closures in March 2020 and were unable to attend the summer catch-up clinics will be prioritised when vaccinations resume. [11247/21]

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

782. To ask the Minister for Health if concerns raised in respect of a general practitioner practice (details supplied) in County Louth that had to cancel a vaccine clinic for patients over 85 years of age due to the non-delivery of vaccines will receive a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11249/21]

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.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

783. To ask the Minister for Health if he made efforts to procure Covid-19 vaccines outside of the EU procurement process. [11250/21]

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

Ireland is participating in a Procurement Exercise being operated by the European Commission on behalf of Member States to procure suitable, safe and effective vaccines, in sufficient quantities, to combat Covid-19.

Six APAs have been negotiated by the Commission under this process to date. Ireland has opted-in to five APAs to secure vaccine supplies: BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen/J&J and CureVac. Government approval has been obtained to opt-into the sixth APA (GSK/Sanofi Pasteur), subject to the outcome of clinical trial results.

Ireland has signalled its solidarity with the EU approach and has, through its participation, gained access to a broad range of vaccines that it might not otherwise have access to, and at the cost agreed collectively by the EU.