Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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While a person can, of course, refuse any offer of vaccination on religious, conscientious or other grounds, provision of one or other authorised COVID-19 vaccine(s) during the immunisation programme will be based on clinical expert guidance, including from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, to ensure the optimal stewardship of scare resources and equitable access to safe and effective vaccine(s) for a given population.

On 7 April 2021, the European Medicine Agency (EMA) announced that they had concluded an investigation into a number of very rare, unusual blood clots occurring with low platelets in people following vaccination with Vaxzevria (formerly COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca). The EMA’s safety committee (PRAC) concluded that unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of Vaxzevria/AstraZeneca but that the benefits of this vaccine continue to outweigh the risks.

On the 12th of April, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) revised recommendations for the use of Vaxzevria/AstraZeneca. In line with these recommendations:

- All of those aged 60 years and older can get any authorised COVID-19 vaccine, including Vaxzevria/AstraZeneca;

- Vaxzevria/AstraZeneca is not recommended for those aged under 60 years including those with medical conditions with very high or high risk of severe COVID-19 disease;

- For people who have already received Vaxzevria/AstraZeneca:

- Those aged 60 years and older should continue to receive their second dose 12 weeks later as scheduled,

- Those aged under 60 years with an underlying condition (those identified in cohort 4 and cohort 7) should continue to receive their second dose 12 weeks later as scheduled,

- Those aged under 60 years with no underlying condition (therefore not identified in cohort 4 and cohort 7) should have the scheduled interval between their first and second doses extended to 16 weeks to allow for further assessment of the benefits and risks as more evidence becomes available,

- Those who have developed unusual blood clots with low platelets after the first dose of Vaxzevria/AstraZeneca should not be given a second dose.

My Department will continue to monitor the roll-out of Vaxzevria/AstraZeneca in Ireland and internationally in collaboration with the HPRA and the NIAC.