Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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2820. To ask the Minister for Health the number of vaccination booths per hundred thousand population within each community health organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39288/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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2821. To ask the Minister for Health his views on reports the vaccine is linked to fertility problems (details supplied). [39292/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme strategy is to distribute all available vaccines as quickly as is operationally possible, prioritising those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. The programme is based on the principles of safety, effectiveness and fairness, with the objective of reducing severe illness, hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19 infection.

The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The Committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practices in relation to immunisation. It makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department. The NIAC review all data relating to COVID-19 vaccines on a rolling basis.

The current guidelines state:

There is no evidence that any COVID-19 vaccine affects fertility or the foetus. No unexpected pregnancy or infant outcomes have been observed related to COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Long term follow-up of vaccine recipients and their children is ongoing.

You can read the guidelines at: www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/hcpinfo/guidelines/covid19.pdf