The National Vaccination Programme is to be changed to an age-based system, once those aged 70 years and older, the vulnerable and people with underlying conditions are immunised.
The advice given to Government is that the new cohorts will make things fairer and simpler from an administration viewpoint.
The Taoiseach and the Tànaiste have said that it was a better way to roll out the vaccine and that it would simplify the process once more vaccines arrive later in the year.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that the new system will “make Ireland’s vaccination programme more efficient, more transparent and fairer."
Speaking on Prime Time, Tànaiste Leo Varadkar explained why the Government has decided to introduce a new system.
"What we've decided today is based on advice from the doctor's, health experts and what they're saying is that the 15 cohorts were too many. Trying to stick to those cohorts might actually have slowed it (vaccine rollout) down, so it's better to have nine. Of those nine, it's really three big groups."
Since the plans were announced, teachers, family carers, and Gardai have expressed their frustrations with the new changes in relation to a failure to prioritise them for vaccination.
It may also mean that key workers in essential jobs and the education sector who cannot avoid a high risk of exposure to the virus will lose vaccine prioritisation.
On this topic, Varadkar said: "we're going with the science and medicine on this" before adding "if you try to stratify people - not just by age or profession - we would make this so complicated. You could have 50-70 groups and that would slow it down. A lot of people would end up getting their vaccine later."
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation said it was "extremely concerned" by the news while the Association of Garda Sergeants & Inspectors has said that it's "a poor decision and shows the scant regard for the unique and high-risk job that Gardai do in policing Covid-19."
Speaking to Miriam O'Callaghan, the Tànaiste said: "The advice we have from the HSE, Nphet and NIAC is that the right way to go is by having fewer cohorts, let's get on with this and get it done quickly. The principle that the government is going on here is that the people you vaccinate first are those who are most likely to die from the disease and those who are most likely to get it. After that, it's done by age."
When asked by O'Callaghan if this changing of Ireland's vaccine plan is an acceptance that the previous one didn't work, the Fine Gael leader was steadfast in his response.
"It's acceptance by the experts that the more science and information they have, they're not able to say that there are certain professions and roles - other than the healthcare workers - that put you at more risk of getting Covid.
"There is some evidence around that, but it's not strong enough to say that you would prioritise a Garda over a teacher, or a carer over a Garda, or a factory worker over a security guard and disregard their age category. Age is the main predictor of a bad outcome for Covid and that's why it's going to be done by age."
In terms of the revised vaccine allocation groups, it goes as follows;
1) People aged 65 years and older who are residents of long-term care facilities (likely to include all staff and residents on-site)
2) Frontline healthcare workers.
3) People aged 70 and older.
4) People aged 16-69 with a medical condition that puts them at very high risk of severe disease and death
5) People aged 65-69 whose underlying condition puts them at a high risk of severe disease and death.
6) Other people aged 65-69: Key workers essential to the vaccine programme.
7) People aged 16-64 who have an underlying condition that t puts them at very high risk of severe disease and death.
8) Residents of long-term care facilities aged 16-64.
9) People aged 64 years and younger in the following order: 64-55 years, 54-45 years, 44-35 years, 34-25 years, 24-16 years.
People aged 16-64 living or working in crowded settings.
