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File photo of a Covid vaccine passport for Glasgow, Scotland. Alamy Stock Photo

NPHET to discuss mandatory vaccination, but Taoiseach says voluntary policy will be kept

The issue is to be discussed after the Department of Health prepares a legal and ethical paper on vaccine mandates.

LAST UPDATE | 10 Jan 2022

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said Ireland’s voluntary vaccination system will be maintained after it emerged public health experts are exploring a mandatory system.

His comments came after minutes from a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) revealed the issue is under discussion.

The issue is to be discussed after the Department of Health prepares a legal and ethical paper.

Minutes of NPHET’s meeting from 16 December, published on Friday, said:

“It was noted that the NPHET will discuss the issue of mandatory vaccination at a later date and this discussion will be facilitated by a forthcoming paper from the Department of Health on the relevant ethical and legal considerations pertaining to this topic.”

Speaking from Cork today, the Taoiseach said: “I think NPHET will examine every issue, so it can give advice to Government from time to time.

“I’ve been very clear that I favour the voluntary approach to vaccination.

“We’ve done extraordinarily well as a country in terms of a 94%vaccination rate for the first and second dose and even 63% for the booster.

“We’re top of the European Union league table in terms of the booster campaign.

“I think that speaks volumes for informing the public about the benefits of vaccination, and also the robust debate that has taken place, with strong medical and public health contributions.

“Not just those in officialdom, but those in the academic world, those involved in the medicine world, who have been very, very clear about the value of vaccination.”

Martin said that vaccination had played a huge role in Ireland’s Covid-19 response, and that without it, the country would currently be in a level five lockdown with infection rates at over 20,000 cases a day.

“Vaccination is the big game changer here. So I favour the voluntary,” he said. 

“I fully respect people who will obviously explore all issues and research them and so on.

“But from my perspective, we have achieved one of the highest rates in the world through a voluntary system and that’s the system that we will maintain.”

Professor Karina Butler, chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), however, has said mandatory vaccination could be “necessary for the overall good”. 

She said the controversial measure would have to be given “careful consideration.”

“I think this is something that really has to be thought about. There are pros and cons to mandatory vaccination,” Professor Butler told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne today.

“I know this has been looked at by the Department and a paper is being done on that and careful consideration will be given to it,” she said. 

“It’s always preferable if people can look at vaccinations, have the information, and be able to make informed decisions for themselves and get it.

“But there can be situations where making a vaccine a requirement is necessary for the overall good.

“But that’s being looked at at the moment.”

Earlier today, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she is “puzzled” by the news of NPHET discussing mandatory vaccinations.

“I mean, we have a huge level of take up of vaccination, including booster shots,” McDonald told RTÉ’s News at One. 

“I don’t believe that mandatory vaccination is a good idea. I think it’s a path that we should not walk down,” she said. 

“People have demonstrated that they are very thoughtful, very responsible in terms of keeping themselves, their families and their communities safe,” she added. 

“I don’t think you will win people to the desirability of vaccinations by making it compulsory.”

Vaccination

Ireland has vaccinated over 92% of people aged over 12, and over 2.3 million booster doses have been administered to date.

According to NPHET’s December minutes, of the 1,272 Covid-19 cases (aged 12 and over) in November who were hospitalised and where vaccination status is known, 281 were unvaccinated (22%) and 956 were fully vaccinated (75%).

Chief Clinical Officer of the HSE Dr Colm Henry said that while just 5% of the eligible population are unvaccinated, over half of patients admitted to ICUs are unvaccinated.

There are just under 1,000 people hospitalised with Covid-19 currently.

Omicron

Hospitals in Ireland are grappling with a surge in Covid-19 cases this winter due to the Omicron variant, which is estimated to be at least five times more transmissible than the previous dominant Covid variant, Delta.

This has led to a series of record-breaking daily cases being reported each day, with 25% of Ireland’s total cases for the past 12 months being reported since Christmas Day.

Despite this, the variant is thought to be less likely to progress to more severe illness by affecting the person’s lungs – it’s more likely to affect a person’s nose and throat. But if it does travel down to the lungs, it is just as likely to cause severe illness as previous variants of Covid-19.

Vaccine mandates

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron made headlines for saying that he would “emmerde”, roughly translated as pledging to annoy the unvaccinated with new rules that means they will need to prove they are fully vaccinated before they can eat out, use trains, or attend cultural events.

In Austria, vaccination is to be obligatory from February for all residents older than 14, except in the case of a dispensation for health reasons.

This has prompted protests – larger than previous Covid-related protests – in both countries in recent weeks.

In December, the Czech Republic is making Covid vaccines mandatory for people aged 60 and above from 1 March, as it battles one of the highest infection rates in the world; while Germany’s parliament passed a draft law requiring healthcare workers and soldiers to get vaccinated against Covid-19, which is considered a first step toward possible mandatory jabs for all adults.

Ecuador made coronavirus vaccines mandatory for children as young as five, after the the Omicron variant was confirmed in the country. Around 69% of Ecuador’s population is considered fully vaccinated. 

With reporting from Hayley Halpin, AFP and Press Association.

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    Mute Dmc
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    Dec 28th 2012, 9:32 AM

    The UK should have no business with an island thousands of miles away next to Argentina. How would we like if they took over the Aran Islands?

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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:05 AM

    By your logic Ireland is geographically close to France therefore France is entitled to sovereignty over Ireland.

    37
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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:07 AM

    And most Argentinians have no right to be living in South America!

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    Mute Dmc
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:57 AM

    Mattoid, you are misinterpreting my point. The example I gave was an island a couple of miles off the Irish mainland. It wouldnt make sense to have it under French or British jurisdiction. Its Irish! The same should apply to the Falklands. British Impearlism trying to take over the world is over with!

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    Mute Mark Dalt
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    Dec 28th 2012, 11:00 AM

    The UK has annexed territories and planted them with a puppet populations for years. Mattoid is an intellect, no country has a right to take.

    12
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    Mute Reg
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    Dec 28th 2012, 11:02 AM

    But Dmc, the Falklands aren’t a couple of miles of the aregentine coast. They are about 400 miles away.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 11:38 AM

    And there was no native population to displace – the British were the first to set foot on the islands.

    Given your comments about imperialism, do you also agree that all non-native Argentinians (the vast majority of the population) should withdraw from Argentina?

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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 12:00 PM

    My point is that Argentina’s only claim over the Falklands is on the grounds of geographic proximity (a point which you hint at yourself), therefore with that logic what is to stop France making the same claim about Ireland?

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    Mute Chris K
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    Dec 28th 2012, 9:34 AM

    Typical bullyboy tactics employed by the thatcher govt. long may she suffer.

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    Mute Conor Buggy
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:34 AM

    What a horrible thing to say about the woman. Am sure you would love that if someone said the same about your Ma!

    She was doing what she thought was right for her country and for people who want to stay part of her country. Disagree with her actions all you like but nasty personal comments are childish and immature.

    37
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    Mute Mark Dalt
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    Dec 28th 2012, 11:06 AM

    Conor Buggy,

    She was an evil figure and still detested by the majority of Irish people. Tell you what Buggy, if you like her so much, why don’t you leave Ireland and move there. Leave the rest of us alone.

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    Mute Conor Buggy
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    Dec 28th 2012, 12:35 PM

    With eejits such as yourself still in the country I’d be f&&king delighted to! 30 years on and theres still attitudes like that here. Hold on to your hate. I hope it consumes you.

    19
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    Mute _doesnotcompute
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:23 AM

    Not surprising to see the veiled threats from Thatcher’s govt to the Irish Embassy in London.

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    Mute AJ Finnin
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:03 AM

    The French won the Falklands war…let me explain………..

    The French Gov sold exocets to the Argentinians, the Argies were pulverising the brit fleet…….a few weeks into the war the exocets were falling out of the sky harmlessly.

    The French had sold the codes for disarming the exocets to the brits in exchange for billions of pounds worth of north sea oil……

    Here ended the history lesson.

    19
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    Mute Reg
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    Dec 28th 2012, 10:19 AM

    The Argentines only had 5 air lanch Exocets. I believe they had two hits and three misses. Hardly pulverising. Most of the damage was inflicted on the Royal Navy by argentine pilots using plain old fashioned bombs. The Royal Navy were lucky that these bombs failed to explode in a number of cases.

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    Mute Mark Dalt
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    Dec 28th 2012, 12:26 PM

    The economic war has starved the British occupied Islas Malvinas which are now cut off from trading with most of latin America due to an Argentine-led economic blockade. This is costing Britain billions of ££££££££ !

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    Mute Reg
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    Dec 28th 2012, 12:53 PM

    The FIs have never been as prosperous Mark. It is Argentina that is the economic basket case. Don’t let your anti-brittishness get in the way of a good rant though!!

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    Mute mattoid
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    Dec 28th 2012, 2:05 PM

    Mark – the British were the first human beings to ever set foot on the Falklands, and they were settled (occupied??) by them long before Argentine even existed!!

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    Mute Derek Mac An Úcaire
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    Dec 29th 2012, 10:23 AM

    connor buggy i dont know if you are english or irish or just plan confused the idea that thatcher cared for anyone is a joke your words (She was doing what she thought was right for her country and for people who want to stay part of her country.)
    who was see looking out for in england during the coal miners strike ? they were her own people were they not?
    the millions unemployed were they her own people ?.

    as for an irish person hating her.
    you have a very short or be it selective memory if you can not see why any one with any knowledge of that evil woman would have feelings of hatred and contempt for her. chris k and mark are entitled to their opinion. I personally hope see has a long and painful illness and has time to reflect on all the pain and suffering she has put on anyone effected by her time on this earth.

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    Mute Conor Buggy
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    Dec 29th 2012, 12:26 PM

    Maybe ask the falkland islanders what they think of her!

    I am Irish and happy to say that I can look back on our past without getting full of hate.

    And she cant remember anything these days as she has dementia. Something I hope you nor Mark or Chris ever has to witness in a family member. Thats why I said his comment was horrible. Nowhere did I say I agreed with her. Read what I actually said!

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    Mute Eoin Bishopski
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    Apr 25th 2013, 9:13 PM

    Maggie was not a nice politician. Hitler was not a nice leader. George Bush was an evil president. Get over it.

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