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The Covid-19 booster vaccine will be rolled out from next week to those with underlying conditions, according to the Minister for Health.
Stephen Donnelly told the Dáil that they were “one group I was very keen to be offered a booster vaccine quickly”. The HSE confirmed the move and have been “working through the details” with the Department of Health. “I’ll have more to share soon on this” but it will start from next week, he confirmed.
Mr Donnelly was speaking as he opened a debate on Covid-19 and the Government’s response to it.
In the debate Fianna Fail TD Cathal Crowe said people who refused to wear a mask on public transport were giving “two-fingers” to society.
He hit out at people who refuse to wear a mask on trains. Mr Crowe said he was “absolutely appalled” to see so many people not wearing masks on the train from Limerick to Dublin.
“Wearing a mask has never been a sacrifice. What’s the big deal in this, putting two strings behind your ears and wearing it for the one hour and 50 minutes you’re on the train.” He said he handed out masks on the train to a family did not have them.
He said “it’s a two-fingers to society. It’s an affront to health workers, it’s an affront to science and it’s a downright insult” to the families of the 5,609 people who died with Covid.
“For God’s sake wear a mask. It’s a simple requirement and if you can’t for medical reasons, well then there’s a cert. Well get the damn cert and don’t go on the train or go into shops and putting up videos on social media every evening.
“We’re seeing it every evening. ‘This rule doesn’t apply to me’ and challenging others to come out and support them.”
In the debate, amid major complaints over the difficulty in accessing PCR tests, Mr Donnelly acknowledged the “extremely high” demand but said an “amazing” 210,000 PCR tests were completed in the last seven days.
He said “the HSE is making every effort necessary to address the very significant demand arising for PCR testing, including making arrangements with private providers”.
The number of National Ambulance Service mobile units will double from four to eight “to provide additional capacity in addressing high demand”.
He said that as of Tuesday 630,000 booster doses have been administered.
The programme for residents in long term residential care and those aged 80 and above is substantially complete. Most people who are immunocompromised have either received or been offered a booster vaccine, he added.
Minister of State Mary Butler paid tribute to GPs administering booster vaccines to those over 80. She said that of the 161,000 people in this age group 134,000 have received a booster vaccine.
GPs are administering boosters to the 336,000 to those over 70 of whom nearly 172,300 have received boosters, she said.
Vaccination in long-term care including nursing homes was substantially completed since the end of October.
“The 60 to 69 year old group are now being vaccinated through vaccination centres with over 33,000 vaccines administered to date. The expect the expectation is that this group will be substantially completed by the end of December in relation to the home vaccination service.”
Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said 21 PCR centres have no capacity today or tomorrow for tests. We need to be looking at where there are gaps. Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford or Tipperary could not get a test for 48 hours. If we’re telling people they should get a test the very least we can do is to provide them with a quick turnaround time.
He said he did not think people were going to make a decision to “hoard dozens of antigen tests” as he called on the Minister to “make a quick decision” to issue them to the public free.
Labour health spokesman Duncan Smith expressed concern that “we’re operating as if this wave is going to be our last”. He said everyone hoped that it was going to be the last “but we have to plan as the WHO has said for it to last until 2023”.