Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1844. To ask the Minister for Health the current information for surgeons on the vaccination of patients awaiting surgery; if Ireland is following the same model as the UK (details supplied); if non-urgent elective surgery is taking place on patients who have yet to receive the vaccination, particularly those identified in the at-risk category; the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15641/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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On the 23^rdof February 2021, I announced an update to Ireland’s COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy.

In comprising the initial Vaccine Allocation Strategy, the NIAC listed several conditions associated with increased risk of severe disease and death. In the intervening period, national and international evidence has become available which has enabled a more detailed analysis of underlying conditions that may increase the risk of developing severe disease or death.

The NIAC has now been able to more comprehensively identify those medical conditions and to distinguish between those which place a person at very high or high risk of severe disease if they contract the virus. Medical conditions and the magnitude of the risk they pose will continue to be monitored and periodically reviewed.

The NIAC continues to monitor data around this disease and indeed emerging data on effectiveness of vaccines on a rolling basis. Further details are available at the following link:

The next cohort to be vaccinated (Cohort 4) are those aged 16-69 and at very high risk of severe illness and death. Vaccination of this group began in March.

It is important to emphasise that vaccination is only one part of our response to the prevention of COVID-19 infection. People who are vaccinated need to continue with all the public health measures that have been proven to reduce the risk of infection, i.e., limiting our social contacts, physical distancing, wearing a mask, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and avoiding non-essential travel until a sufficiently large proportion of the population are immune.

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