Budget 2022 provided for the largest ever investment in Ireland's Health and Social Care Services of €21bn for the Department of Health. Up to €697m is provided in 2022 for net non-capital expenditure in relation to COVID-19 measures. Within this funding, €497m is allocated for a range of public health and related infection prevention and control measures, including but limited to Testing & Tracing, Personal Protective Equipment and Vaccination programmes, with a further €200m allocated to Waiting List measures.
It is up to the HSE to allocate this funding across the relevant service areas as required throughout the year. In order to provide specific detail regarding the budget allocation and breakdown of same for the National Immunisation Office over the past four years, I will refer the Deputy’s question to the HSE for direct reply.
The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation. It makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department. NIAC continues to revise recommendations to allow for the introduction of new vaccines in Ireland and to keep abreast of changes in the patterns of disease. Therefore, the immunisation schedule will continue to be amended over time. My Department is guided by NIAC's recommendations on any emerging evidence in relation to the immunisation programme.
In terms of research in relation to evaluating social and economic benefits, it is usual that the Health Information Quality Authority are asked by the Minister to carry out a Health Technology Assessment prior to a significant change or the introduction of a new vaccine to the national immunisation programme.
A Health Technology Assessment (HTA) systematically gathers evidence under a series of domains to assist the decision-making process. The domains typically included are the burden of the disease, clinical effectiveness and safety, cost effectiveness and budget impact and ethical and legal issues.
A HTA may be repeated in numerous countries, as each will have its own requirements regarding cost and epidemiological data. However, some elements of a HTA, such as the assessment of clinical effectiveness, may be transferable across jurisdictions. HIQA is involved in a collaboration of HTA agencies in Europe (EUnetHTA) which has the express purpose of improving information sharing and reducing duplication of work. The sharing of work is facilitated by using agreed methodology and processes when carrying out HTAs. Whenever possible, HIQA uses work carried out in other agencies as well as making their work available to them also.
HIQA is also involved in other international collaborations, such as HTA International (HTAi), the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA), and the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Through these collaborations, HIQA contribute to and benefit from the knowledge and expertise of a wide network of HTA agencies.
HIQA are currently carrying out a HTA on the Varicella Zoster Vaccine, which is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
