Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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220. To ask the Minister for Health the arrangements in place for persons who received their first Covid-19 vaccination in another country and have since moved to live in Ireland; if they will be facilitated with their second dose at the time it is due irrespective of the cohort they are in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23500/21]

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.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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221. To ask the Minister for Health if the National Immunisation Advisory Committee advised against the inclusion of the HPV vaccine in the drug payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23501/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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All vaccines administered through the School Immunisation Programme, including the HPV vaccine, are provided free of charge.

The ages at which vaccines are recommended in the immunisation schedule are chosen by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) in order to give each child the best possible protection against vaccine preventable diseases.

As the HPV vaccine is preventative it is intended to be administered, if possible, before a person becomes sexually active, that is, before a person is first exposed to HPV infection.

Therefore, the gender-neutral HPV vaccination programme targets all girls and boys in their first year of secondary school to provide maximum coverage.

My Department will continue to be guided by the NIAC's recommendations on any emerging evidence on this issue in the future.