Peadar Tóibín
Question:772. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he can confirm reports of needle or syringe shortages in general practice settings which is reportedly delaying vaccine administration. [12635/21]
View answerWednesday, 10 March 2021
Questions (772, 774, 823, 998)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:774. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to instances of delays in vaccine supplies reaching general practitioners which is resulting in general practitioners having to cancel appointments for persons who were due to receive the Covid-19 vaccination. [12637/21]
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Seán Canney
Question:823. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that general practitioner practices around the country did not have their vaccine orders processed by the HSE and were left without a vaccination; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that this processing failure is causing great distress for older persons and their families and is undermining confidence in the roll-out of the vaccine; the steps he is taking to address the problem to ensure that these general practitioner practices get their supplies as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12839/21]
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Jackie Cahill
Question:998. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the position regarding vaccine allocations to general practitioners for persons over 80 years of age (details supplied). [13536/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 772, 774, 823 and 998 together.
Ireland’s strategy is to distribute all COVID-19 vaccines that we receive, subject to ensuring availability of the second dose. At the beginning of last week, Ireland had received approximately 520,000 vaccine doses and by the end of the week approximately 500,000 doses were administered, a measure of the programme’s efficiency. Vaccines continue to be administered very quickly after their arrival into the country. At the moment, vaccine administration is limited only by the supply of approved vaccines and that is dependent on manufacturers meeting their supply commitments.
As with all Vaccine Administration Sites, consumables (needles, syringes, sharps bin etc.) are delivered separately to vaccines. Planning is predicated on the approach that consumables will be delivered in advance of the vaccine delivery and every effort is made to ensure that this is the case. However, I am aware of a small number of incidents where consumables have not arrived in advance of the vaccine delivery.
In relation to General Practitioners, the position is that at the conclusion of the first phase roll-out of the programme last weekend, the HSE has confirmed that the majority of patients aged 85 years and over have received their first dose of the vaccine as scheduled. GPs have also begun administration of vaccine to people aged 80-84. In total over 1,300 GP practices, representing in excess of 3,000 GPs and their Practice Teams have delivered over 90,000 vaccines by last weekend and a further 37,000 vaccines being distributed this week (w/c 8 March). The programme has also involved a number of large-scale GP clinics, which have taken place in the Helix DCU, MTU in Cork and Merlin Park Galway with over 1,500 over 85’s receiving the vaccine at these locations.
There are a very small number of practices, less than 30, who are due to receive first delivery this week for their over 85s and it is also intended to commence the vaccination of those who are homebound as arrangements have been put in place in conjunction with GP’s, local community teams and the National Ambulance Service and will commence this week and also patients in our acute hospitals. The HSE has acknowledge that there were problems with communication with GPs generally and that some issues have arisen with the distribution of vaccines to some GP practices over the last week, and steps are being taken to improve this situation also.
As is well known, the vaccination programme is limited internationally by the supply of vaccine and our programme to date has ensured that all available vaccine is distributed and administered as quickly as possible. The supply required for the completion of the programme by mid-May remains on target. However, due to a re-profiling of the Moderna vaccine delivery schedule, the total vaccine doses available for distribution in the coming weeks is now slightly less. The available vaccine supply is approximately 15% less than the required amount to meet the total over-80 cohort. This means GPs may not receive the total order for these coming weeks but, in all instances, GPs will be advised on the amounts they will receive and any shortfall in vaccine for the over-80 age group will be allocated in the next order and so on through March with a significant ramp-up in vaccine delivery in April as increased supplies arrive in Ireland. Unfortunately, these supply issues are outside of our control. However, if any additional supply becomes available, this will be provided to General Practitioners at the earliest opportunity. Importantly, the HSE expects that the totality of the over-70s programme will be completed within the original timeframe of mid-May.