Urgent need to appoint a vaccine Leader - TD

Independent TD Marian Harkin, reiterated her strong view that there was urgent need to appoint a Chief Vaccination Officer, or other competent person, who would be the voice and face of a vaccine roll-out.

The TD who has part of south Donegal in her constituency was addressing Health minister, Stephen Donnelly, in the Dáil yesterday.

She emphasised that her comments were ‘not personal, not political but practical’.

She told the minister: "We need to put in place a national plan to facilitate the macro picture and the micro management that is needed, as well as the detailed planning that helps to ensure confidence, buy in, and belief in the system".

As to the role of government in all of this, Ms Harkin emphasised that "from a human perspective our response in rolling out this vaccine matters more than anything but from a political perspective it would be the benchmark by which this government is judged".

She added that the Minister for Health already had a significant work load and, twelve months ago, nobody could have foreseen the unthinkable challenge that would be faced by the healthcare system.

"It is not possible therefore for one person to manage healthcare and to be in charge of the vaccine role out," Deputy Harkin said.

She referenced what had happened in Sligo University Hospital where there had been a real concern about those who got the vaccine, those who did not and when the latter group would get it.

Such concerns were repeated throughout the country.
A significant part of the problem was the lack of full transparency with regard to detailed planning, she said.

She added many people, especially those on the front line, were on edge.

"Any hint of unfairness, injustice or queue jumping feeds the sense that we are not in this together and the only way to combat this was by appointing a person who would be the face and voice of a fully effective vaccine roll out."