David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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220. To ask the Minister for Health if the list of professions which are permitted to administer Covid-19 vaccinations will be expanded to include registered phlebotomists, healthcare assistants and social care workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27723/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE are building and deploying its workforce in order to be prepared for the requirements associated with rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine programme.

GPs, Pharmacists, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and many healthcare professionals, will have a role to play in the vaccination programme.

The vaccine rollout is being conducted on a 7-day week basis. Last week training commenced for new applicants. Alternative training pathways have been put in place in response to the recent cyber-attack.

Ca. 1,400 vaccinators were in place as of Friday 18th June.

There has been a successful national and local recruitment campaign with over 2,900 vaccinators currently being deployed or ready to start from the national recruitment campaign. There are a further 3,000 vaccinators in the recruitment process.

It is not intended that phlebotomists or social workers will be called upon to participate as vaccinators in the programme at this time.