Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

131. To ask the Minister for Health if clarity will be provided on the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine for those in cohort 7 such as in the case of a person (details supplied); and the way patients are referred for allocated slots for the vaccine. [30440/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

132. To ask the Minister for Health his plans in relation to persons who have received one dose of a vaccine (details supplied) but are only 30% protected against the Indian variant and are not due to receive their second dose for a number of weeks making them vulnerable to infection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30441/21]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

134. To ask the Minister for Health if he has considered reducing the gap between the first and second doses of a vaccine (details supplied) to ensure recipients are protected against the B16172 variant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30443/21]

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

154. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to accelerate the administration of a second vaccine (details supplied) to the 60 to 70 age group who have to wait 12-weeks for their second vaccine given the low level of protection that one dose of the vaccine is providing against the newer variants of Covid-19 specifically the Indian and the Thai variants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30463/21]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

155. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to further reducing the intervals between the first and second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30464/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 132, 134, 154 and 155 together.

On June 4 I announced a shorter interval between doses for the Vaxzevria® (AstraZeneca) vaccine. This follows updated recommendations from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), which have been endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer. NIAC has concluded that those of any age (without any previous COVID-19 infection), who have received their first dose of Vaxzevria® should receive their second dose 8-12 weeks later.

The HSE recently received updated advice from NIAC in relation to reducing the dosing interval for the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine from 12 weeks to 8. Extensive planning has been required to put in place a programme that will now see the remaining, approximately 450,000 people, in receipt of the AZ vaccine fully immunised through the administration of this second dose by the middle to end of July.