{"id":24588,"date":"2021-12-26T16:51:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-26T21:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24588"},"modified":"2021-12-27T09:54:28","modified_gmt":"2021-12-27T14:54:28","slug":"taoiseach-suggests-annual-vaccinations-may-be-needed-to-control-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24588","title":{"rendered":"Taoiseach Suggests Annual Vaccinations May Be Needed To Control Covid-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Miche\u00e1l Martin said the vaccination program has been the \u2018big game changer\u2019 over the last 12 months (PA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Taoiseach has said that annual shots of Covid-19 vaccines may be needed to retain immunity from the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miche\u00e1l Martin said the HSE is assessing plans to \u201cswitch on and switch off\u201d vaccination programs for annual jabs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin said he could not \u201cdefinitively\u201d say whether the highly contagious Omicron variant could help build up mass immunity through infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fianna F\u00e1il leader said if the Omicron variant is less severe but more infectious, that it could \u201ccreate a new horizon\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked whether the Omicron variant could help the country out of the pandemic through mass infection, Mr Martin said: \u201cSome people have put forward that view but I\u2019m not expert enough, to be frank, to say that definitively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know Omicron has actually re-infected people who\u2019ve been infected before with Delta, which opens up the horizon of potential reinfection into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe key issue would be severity, you know, in terms of if it\u2019s much more infectious but less impactful. That could create a new horizon \u2013 a new scenario \u2013 for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d be more hopeful than not that we\u2019d be getting better at this.  I just don\u2019t have the data to be definitive about the surge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin said the vaccination program has been the \u201cbig game changer\u201d over the last 12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo we really think we\u2019d be open today in terms of retail, construction and everything else if we had 4,500 cases or 5,000 cases and no vaccination?\u201d he said. \u201cSo, to me, it is the big game changer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cI know already Europe is already preparing a potential new dose or new vaccine for variants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat work is under way with the companies. One could be looking at an annual vaccination program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know the HSE are looking at a sort of stronger independent capacity that they can switch on and switch off vaccination programs around this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin said the country will get better at dealing with Covid and emerging variants through antivirals and new treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how I see us coping with Covid into the future whilst allowing our full economy back,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe economy has come roaring back since we reopened since March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to be careful of that too because a lot of that energy was captured or suppressed by the Covid restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s also a level of stimulus in terms of the European-wide stimulus program and a lot of inflation has come through that but, nonetheless, the manufacturing side of our economy has been very strong and there\u2019ll be a lot of domestic demand for quite a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo we are in a much better position from that perspective than we would have been without vaccinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have advances in medicines for 2022. I\u2019m more optimistic even though the current situation doesn\u2019t reflect that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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