“We’re looking at all options and all scenarios but ultimately, it’s still under assessment by NIAC.”
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is looking at “various scenarios that may emerge for vaccinations of younger children”, HSE Chief Paul Reid has confirmed on Sunday.
Speaking to Newstalk’s On The Record on Sunday, Paul Reid said the HSE will follow the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommendations on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout for the age cohort.
“NIAC are assessing the evidence and information relating to the vaccination of 12 to 15-year-olds, they’re considering that over the next short period, they haven’t made any recommendations as yet,” he said.
“We take our lead from recommendations that would come from NIAC.”
He added that the HSE are now looking at “various scenarios” that may emerge from the vaccinations.
“What we are doing in parallel is looking at various scenarios that may emerge for vaccinations of younger children, 12 to 15,” he continued.
“We would look at it in the context of the various channels for vaccinations that we have now, GPs, pharmacies and vaccination centres so we’re looking at all options and all scenarios but ultimately, it’s still under assessment by NIAC.”
He said that the rollout for the over 12 age group is “not currently built into the base plan”, however, they will look at possibly modifying the plan after they receive the NIAC recommendations.
“It’s not currently built into our assumptions, it’s not currently built into the base plan that we have which I refer to now as version 31,” he said.
“Everything that we have done has always been modified or planned based on emerging evidence so will wait and assess any recommendations coming from NIAC.
“But right now we’re motoring on with the programme as we have currently set it out.”
Vaccination of children as young as 12 could be rolled out from next month to help curb the spread of the Delta variant in Ireland before schools resume in September, the Sunday Independent reported earlier today.
The HSE’s Schools Immunisation Programme is expected to be used alongside the existing Covid-19 vaccination infrastructure and will see children in the age group receive a Covid-19 jab as soon as advice allows.
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