JAB ANGER
EDUCATION Minister Norma Foley has called on the National Immunisation Advisory Committee to explain the reason the vaccine rollout order was changed.
This week, it was announced that the vaccine programme will change to an age-based system, once those aged 70 years and older, the vulnerable and people with underlying conditions are immunised.
Last night, Education boss Norma Foley
 said the change is significant and it would be “helpful†if NIAC explained the rationale behind the move.
The Minister was speaking at a meeting of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party, which heard criticism of the changes and how they were announced this week.
Representatives for teachers’ and gardai groups have shared their frustration at the move, after they had been calling to be moved up the previousvaccine roll-out order.
The chance of any groups being able to push for early vaccination is now unlikely.
Garda Representative Association Vice-President, Brendan OConnor has said gardai had been “singled out and abandoned†by the new policy.
He told Newstalk
: We have been out there since last February and March putting ourselves in danger and putting ourselves at risk; we didnt question it and we were told that our contribution was valued.
Now, overnight, we are the only emergency service, the only blue-light service, that has been left unvaccinated.
If there is the threat of another wave or more restrictions whatever has to be policed and enforced in the interest of public health who has to shoulder that burden? The women and men of An Garda Siochana.
“Yet we are singled out and abandoned by a policy that leaves us the only people in that group left without vaccinations.
