Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 May 2021
410. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the status of the waving of mandatory hotel quarantine for persons who are vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccines not yet approved by the European Medicines Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25246/21]
View answer444. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health when persons fully vaccinated with a vaccine (details supplied) will be able to travel here without the need to enter mandatory hotel quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25331/21]
View answer445. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the requirements regarding mandatory hotel quarantine for Irish citizens returning to Ireland from the UAE in July 2021 who have been working in the UAE and have been vaccinated there with a vaccine (details supplied). [25345/21]
View answer466. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he is considering exemptions from mandatory hotel quarantine for persons who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with a vaccine (details supplied); if he will take into account that on 7 May 2021, the World Health Organization approved the vaccine as a suitable and recognized vaccine for protection against Covid-19; if he will discuss this matter at the earliest convenience with the National Public Health Emergency Team and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25485/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 410, 444, 445 and 466 together.
As of 17th April, passengers who are fully vaccinated and have the documents to confirm this are no longer required to complete mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival in Ireland. Dependents, including children, will also be exempted from the requirement to complete mandatory hotel quarantine in this instance.
Please note that the 4 EMA approved vaccines currently accepted have specific definitions for when a person would be considered fully vaccinated.
The following table sets out the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’;
|
Type of Vaccine |
You are regarded as fully vaccinated after |
|
Pfizer-BioNtech |
7 days after 2nd dose |
|
Moderna |
14 days after 2nd dose |
|
Oxford-AstraZeneca |
15 days after 2nd dose |
|
Johnson & Johnson/Janssen |
14 days after single dose |
Fully vaccinated travellers are still required to have a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test and complete a period of self-quarantine at home or wherever specified in their passenger locator form.
Ireland supports the EU Procurement Process, the purpose of which is to secure safe and efficacious vaccines for EU citizens.
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. No vaccine will be used until Market authorisation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is obtained and any authorised vaccine will be subject to ongoing monitoring in Ireland by the Health Product Regulatory Authority (HPRA).
The delivery of vaccines under APAs that the Commission has negotiated on behalf of Member States are predicated upon a CMA being obtained from the Commission (on the basis of a positive recommendation being awarded by the EMA).
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.
The Sinopharm vaccine has not been awarded a CMA to date.
The provisions of the Act allow for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine; however, this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun. Requests for review can be based only on a limited number of grounds and public health will remain a paramount consideration. The SLO (Irish Defence Forces) in the hotel can provide further information on how to apply.
It is important to note that the list of designated states will be subject to change at short notice and passengers are required to check the list before travelling to Ireland, to be sure of their obligations.
Neither I as Minister for Health or my Department have any role in deciding which persons must enter mandatory quarantine or which persons are exempt from entering mandatory quarantine. All such decisions are to be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
