Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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990. To ask the Minister for Health if members of An Garda Síochána will be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16756/21]

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1035. To ask the Minister for Health if he will prioritise members of An Garda Síochána to receive Covid-19 vaccinations as front-line workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16951/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 990 and 1035 together.

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.

On the 23^rdof February, 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.

On the 30^thof March, the Government approved a further update to the COVID-19 Vaccination Allocation Strategy. Based on clinical, scientific and ethical frameworks produced by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and my Department, following the vaccination of those most at risk, future groups will be vaccinated by age, in cohorts of 10 years (i.e., 64-55; 54-45, etc.).

The move to an age-based model better supports the programme objectives by:

- protecting those at highest risk of severe disease first, which benefits everyone most;

- facilitating planning and execution of the programme across the entire country;

- improving transparency and fairness.

Further details are available here:

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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991. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider including spina bifida and hydrocephalus in category 4 on the vaccine priority list given that it is associated with kidney disease, neurological complications, respiratory complications and obesity which in their own may not be considered as high risk but put together constitute a very high risk to the individual if infected by Covid-19. [16762/21]

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 follow ing 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.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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992. To ask the Minister for Health the person or body responsible for determining eligibility on category 4 of the vaccine list given that there currently is no clear database, for example, on obesity, respiratory complications and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16763/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.