Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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158. To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether the 12-week gap in the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine in the 60 to 70 age cohort needs to be revisited in view of the Indian variant and UK vaccination advice and the mathematical modelling on the variant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30467/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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On 4 June 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 dose 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 AstraZeneca vaccine fully immunised through the administration of this second dose by the end of July.