Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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2438. To ask the Minister for Health if he will outline the strategy for vaccine production to combat emerging Covid-19 variants and future pandemics. [16821/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland continues to participate in the EU procurement process operated by the European Commission to secure safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.

The vaccine procurement strategy has sought to purchase a range of available vaccines to ensure a diversified vaccine portfolio and sufficient quantities to commence and rollout an unprecedented immunisation programme.

Ireland has recently entered into Purchase Agreements with vaccine manufacturers Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. Both agreements contain provisions to allow for the adaptation of the current vaccine to combat emerging variants of concern.