Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

528. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department's attention has been drawn to any evidence of the ability of the Covid vaccination to prevent Covid transmission. [56257/22]

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

The COVID-19 Vaccination 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.

COVID-19 vaccines can only be approved and used if they comply with all the requirements of quality, safety and efficacy set out in the EU pharmaceutical legislation. Any authorised vaccine will be subject to ongoing monitoring in Ireland by the Health Product Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

The EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has thoroughly assessed the data on the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine and recommended by consensus a formal Conditional Marketing Authorisation (CMA) be granted by the European Commission. The awarding of a CMA provides a high level of assurance that a vaccine has undergone rigorous testing and has met the requirements of the independent regulatory process as regards demonstrating its safety and efficacy.

Following the recommendation for use of vaccines against COVID-19 by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and authorisation for use by the European Commission, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) develops guidance for their use in Ireland which is contained in the Immunisation Guidelines for Ireland. The NIAC review all data relating to COVID-19 vaccines on a rolling basis.

It should be noted that evidence on transmission of COVID-19 following vaccination is limited. The main vaccine efficacy trials were not designed for this purpose.