Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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675. To ask the Minister for Health if SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing is available nationally; if proof of the presence of antibodies will be accepted as proof of immunity; the reason the proof of the presence of antibodies is not currently accepted as proof of immunity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45251/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that the HSE does not currently offer antibody tests. It is important to note that antibody tests check for antibodies to see if a person had an infection with the virus in the past. A positive antibody test should not be taken to mean that a person is protected from being infected again with COVID-19; a positive result does not mean that the person is immune to coronavirus.

As the Deputy will be aware, the underpinning EU Digital COVID Certificate regulation concerns the issuing and verification of certificates for medical events including vaccination, recovery, and testing related to COVID-19. The EU Digital COVID Certificate regulation, and subsequent associated national regulations, do not allow for the issuing of a certificate for individuals who have not had a medical event as outlined.

Under the EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation, a certificate of recovery is a certificate confirming that, following a positive result of a NAAT test, meaning a molecular nucleic acid amplification test, such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) techniques, used to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA), carried out by health professionals or by skilled testing personnel the holder has recovered from a SARS-CoV-2 infection.