Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2023
603. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Health if he will consider widening the eligibility for further Covid-19 vaccines to more age groups; if he will consider reinstating PCR testing for Covid-19; what steps he will take to ensure there is better data on the prevalence of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52115/23]
View answerThe scope of the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme continues to be based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The HSE is currently implementing the Autumn/Winter programme and the rollout will see a further booster rolled out to the following cohorts;
•those aged 50 years and older
•those aged 5-49 years with immunocompromise associated with a suboptimal response to vaccination
•those aged 5-49 years with medical conditions associated with a higher risk of Covid-19 hospitalisation, severe disease or death
•health and care workers
The NIAC has also advised that pregnant adolescents and adults should receive a Covid -19 booster vaccine once in pregnancy if it is more than six months since their previous Covid -19 vaccine or infection.
The NIAC will continue to examine emerging evidence regarding booster vaccines for others in the population where there is evidence of waning immunity and reduced effectiveness and will make further recommendations if required.
Public health advice relating to Covid -19 is available on the website of the HSE. This advice is kept under continuing review.
The public health rationale for testing, case finding and tracing of infection to reduce Covid -19 transmission is focused on mitigation of the severe impacts of Covid -19 for those most vulnerable to the disease and those with risk factors who may benefit from specific interventions. Testing for Covid -19 is now operated on a sustainable model similar to the model that exists for other respiratory diseases. Testing is no longer needed unless a GP or healthcare worker advises you to have one or under the direction of Public Health in the HSE. Anybody who has concerns about an underlying condition or their level of risk in relation to Covid -19 should seek advice from their GP or treating clinician.
The targeted approach for Covid -19 testing now in place supports clinical assessment, diagnosis and management of individual “at risk” patients. This may include, for example, when a clinician is considering access to a specific therapeutic intervention. In common with most other infectious diseases, the HSE now operates a comprehensive disease surveillance-based model in line with public health guidance.
Additional resources have also been provided to the HSE to ensure enhancements are put in place to existing infectious disease surveillance systems in the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). Eighty-nine new posts in disease surveillance have been created with 55 of these already recruited. The HPSC is delivering an enhanced, integrated public health surveillance system for a range of respiratory pathogens (SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV etc.) This includes, for example, prioritising improvements to disease surveillance programmes such as expansion and strengthening of GP sentinel surveillance, Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) surveillance and establishment of a Biostatistics and Modelling Unit at the HPSC and strengthening of other surveillance systems that support Covid -19 surveillance. In addition, Wastewater Surveillance and Whole Genome Sequencing programmes remain in place and operational. This ensures effective monitoring and signalling of what is happening with infectious diseases at population level, so that we can better understand disease transmission and severity along with population immunity and risk.
