Sir, – The development, testing, manufacture, delivery and administration of multiple different Covid vaccines within a year of the first identification of the virus represents an astonishing achievement.
Each of these individual steps are subject to challenges and reversals that can delay or even derail the endeavour entirely, with several vaccine candidates never reaching fruition and others impeded by production problems.
Frequent updates about new variants and vaccine effectiveness also contribute to the difficulty of providing a consistent message to a public desperate to be released from lockdown. As a result, every Government statement promising that a specific vaccine will be delivered to a certain group by a particular date is susceptible to new information that may force a change of strategy, occasionally within hours or days of the preceding announcement.
This has led to confusion and frustration, undermining confidence in this vital public health programme and those responsible for delivering it.
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Surely it would be preferable to issue a simple statement of intent, indicating that the Government will acquire vaccine doses as soon as they are approved and available and deliver them in a timely manner, in accordance with the relative risk of different population sub-groups, as logistics allow. It is foolish for us to expect, and for the Government to imply, a certainty that can never be delivered in such a rapidly evolving situation. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL McDERMOTT,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Can the HSE and those involved in providing vaccines make definite decisions on timelines?
As an over-70, very much looking forward to a return to some normality, it is very annoying to constantly get so many changes to plans. Please give no more promises until you are certain. – Yours, etc,
B MURPHY,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – If we had as many vaccine doses as we have “caveats”, we would be leading the world. – Yours, etc,
EAMON FARRELL,
Samdymount,
Dublin 4.