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The Government\u2019s goal of vaccinating 80 per cent of adults by June still stands, the Taoiseach has said, telling the D\u00e1il: \u201cThe target is still the target.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Government\u2019s goal of vaccinating 80 per cent of adults by June still stands, the Taoiseach has said, telling the D\u00e1il: \u201cThe target is still the target.\u201d<\/p>\n
It comes after the HSE\u2019s national director responsible for the vaccine rollout, Damien McCallion, told the Oireachtas Health Committee he is \u201cnot in a position\u201d to confirm if the target will be reached.<\/p>\n
Issues with supplies have created numerous setbacks for the vaccination program, with news on Tuesday that a delivery of AstraZeneca jabs this week had fallen from an expected 45,000 to just 9,000.<\/p>\n
Labour leader Alan Kelly raised the issue at Leaders\u2019 Questions on Wednesday, asking Miche\u00e1l Martin if there are changes to the vaccine rollout.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin responded: \u201cThe target is still the target, I\u2019m not confirming any changes whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n
He highlighted the challenges presented by decisions taken by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the National Immunization Advisory Committee (Niac) around the safety of the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.<\/p>\n
Niac has advised that the AstraZeneca jab should only be given to people over 60, and will meet this week to discuss use of the J&J vaccine after an EMA review over rare blood clotting concerns found the benefits outweigh the risks.<\/p>\n
The Taoiseach said: \u201cThe key issue, yet to be determined, is the issue of the interval between doses, which has been examined again by Niac in consultation with the chief medical officer.\u201d<\/p>\n
AstraZeneca has indicated that its supply capacity could increase significantly if it is given certain authorizations around manufacturing, Mr Martin said.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cDepending on the outcomes of a lot of that, the situation can improve significantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could potentially, if Johnson & Johnson is to be made available\u2026 that\u2019s another 600,000 that will be available in quarter two.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe issue then will be the administration of vaccines in Q2.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Martin did not respond to a question around goals to administer 250,000 vaccinations per week by April \u2013 a target Mr McCallion said on Tuesday would not be met.<\/p>\n
Mr Kelly said: \u201cFor the record, for the public watching, the Taoiseach of Ireland has said at this moment in time there\u2019s no change as regards the 82 per cent by June and 250,000 by next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said there was no change and that is the effect of saying there is no change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Kelly also suggested that a new vaccine oversight group in the Taoiseach\u2019s department had been established because of Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin responded angrily, saying: \u201cAbsolutely not \u2013 it\u2019s nothing to do with Minister Donnelly\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wonder what your agenda is, quite frankly. You should be supporting the vaccination program, not trying to undermine it, not trying to get \u2018getcha moments\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018We\u2019ve just heard the Taoiseach say X or Y.\u2019 I\u2019m not interested in that kind of infantile politics or juvenile politics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Kelly shouted over the Taoiseach: \u201cThat\u2019s diversion tactics is all it is. Answer the question for the people of Ireland, the people deserve to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Martin said: \u201cThe group that has been established, that you\u2019ve asked about, is a group that involves the HSE, that involves Niac, because there is a relationship between advice and the operationalization of that advice in terms of the administration of vaccines.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat to me is a simple, positive thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n