He said that AstraZeneca is a “very safe vaccine”.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that people will have a choice on whether or not to take the AstraZeneca vaccine or wait on another option.
When asked by reporters on Tuesday if people will be able to wait on a different Covid-19 vaccine following NIAC’s approval of the AstraZeneca jab for all age cohorts over 18, he said that the “risks are very, very low”.
“Well, I think first of all everybody has a choice to wait but in our view, the risks are very, very low, it’s a safe vaccine,” he said.
“The EMA has made it very clear from the start that it’s a safe vaccine.”
He added that Covid-19 has a “severe impact on people’s health” meaning that “the balance of risk is that it’s much safe to get the vaccine”.
“As I said earlier, the faster we can vaccinate society overall, the greater resistance we build up from Delta and other variants,” he continued.
Earlier on Tuesday, Martin confirmed that indoor dining will be delayed, however, international travel will be able to go ahead as planned on 19 July.
Martin said that he is aware of the difficulties being faced by hospitality right now, and said the reopening of indoor dining could come sooner for people who are vaccinated are a new system to prove people have received the jab is currently being drawn up.
You can take a look at the full list of restrictions being eased from next month here.
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