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Sasko Lazarov

Donnelly says he would like to see healthcare workers get the green light for the booster jab

The booster shots for the over 60s will begin ‘imminently’, said the minister.

HEALTH MINISTER STEPHEN DONNELLY has said he would like to see the green light given on boosters for healthcare workers.

Donnelly said there is “a strong case” for giving healthcare workers boosters, stating that he has written to the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) in relation to the issue.

“I think we have been very well served by NIAC and I think one of the reasons why we have one the highest participation rates in vaccines in Ireland is because people, rightly, trust the expert advice and they know that we are following that expert advice,” he said.

Labour’s Alan Kelly today urged the Taoiseach to give a timeline to frontline workers as to when such a decision would be made.

Speaking in the Dáil, the Taoiseach said when it comes to vaccines, the government takes clinical advice and expert advice.

Health experts are satisfied that there are benefits to giving a booster vaccine to the over 60s, he said, adding that the issue in relation to health care workers will be kept under examination.

“That’s where that lies at the moment I do understand the concerns that are out there in respect of healthcare workers,” he said, acknowledging that the government has concerns too.

“I acknowledge that the experts are those who’ve tried and trusted experience in the administration of vaccines, and it’s an issue that will be kept under review,” he added.

It was confirmed yesterday that vaccine boosters are going to be offered to people over the age of 60.

The health minister confirmed today that the administration of the booster to the 800,000 6–79 group will begin “imminently”.

The HSE is working out a “detailed plan” on the booster programme, with the minister stating that while he could not give an exact start date, he wants it to begin “sooner rather than later”.

Yesterday, Labour’s Ged Nash asked if the over 60s will have to wait a number of months to get their booster shot.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said the booster doses “may be considered at least 6 months after the second dose for people aged 18 years and older”.

“At national level, public health bodies may issue official recommendations on the use of booster doses, taking into account emerging effectiveness data and the limited safety data. The risk of inflammatory heart conditions or other very rare side effects after a booster is not known and is being carefully monitored. As for all medicines, EMA will continue to look at all data on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine,” it said.

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    Mute garretcollins
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    Aug 11th 2011, 3:22 PM

    @ Tal

    It says all viruses.

    Arthritis is not a virus however, it’s an inflammatory disorder.

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    Mute Tal Tallon
    Favourite Tal Tallon
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    Aug 11th 2011, 2:25 PM

    If it really works, then it could be very good.

    I wonder is it only recently contracted viruses or could it be used against someone who has arthritis for years?

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    Mute Andy
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    Aug 11th 2011, 7:07 PM

    Since when is Arthritis a virus?

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    Mute Tommy Murphy
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    Aug 12th 2011, 12:28 AM

    What an idiot!!! Give urself a big wet slap in the face

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    Mute Lenny Sloane
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    Aug 11th 2011, 8:56 PM

    Would be amazing if it can ultimately kill the HIV and Aids virus.

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    Mute Oisín Ó Dálaigh
    Favourite Oisín Ó Dálaigh
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    Aug 11th 2011, 3:50 PM

    “A new drug called DRACO…”

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    Mute Shane McCarthy
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    Aug 11th 2011, 2:41 PM

    Dangerous stuff. What happens if the bugs become immune, we could all end up being much worse.

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    Mute Sarah Hempenstall
    Favourite Sarah Hempenstall
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    Aug 11th 2011, 4:33 PM

    Looking at the paper; they target the virus by inducing programmed cell death (or apoptosis) in infected cells. The reason bacteria become resistant is that you are killing off the bacteria with a compound that you can tolerate but the bacteria cannot. The problem is that you’ll eventually come up against a bacterium that has innate immunity to a certain antibiotic and won’t be killed. Then it will divide and multiply and produce a big whack of resistant bacteria and, because of something called horizontal gene transfer, they can transfer resistance into bacteria that were not resistant at the start. A bacterium is a cell in and of itself and can reporoduce-a virus can’t. It reproduces ONLY by hijacking the cell it has infected. If what this group in MIT have developed works it will target and kill off infected cells. Since the viral marker they target is dsRNA, something the virus produces as it reproduces, it looks pretty unlikely a virus could ever, ever develop resistance simply because it can’t exist without producing dsRNA. dsRNA is not produced by healthy cells so it looks like a good marker. It’s early days but it looks like an elegant solution to a problem that kills and injures millions. Don’t be so negative and immediately assume we’ll all be worse off!

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    Mute Colin Rodgers
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    Aug 12th 2011, 10:31 AM

    Pretty sure this is how Zombie Apocalypses start.

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    Mute Brian McGuinness
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    Aug 12th 2011, 8:36 AM

    This would put a selection pressure on viruses forcing any more virulent mutations to ultimately survive, reproduce and beat anything we can throw at them. In short we’re talking the end of the world here folks. On the bright side, the weather’s supposed to be not too bad for the weekend. Yay!

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    Mute Tal Tallon
    Favourite Tal Tallon
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    Aug 12th 2011, 9:37 AM

    Shit, I meant long term virus’s… Ah well

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