Vaccination campaign and targets

Sir, – A recent European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control report shows that the severity of Covid-19 disease rises sharply for those over the age of 55. The finding that age is the primary determinant of disease severity supports existing compelling evidence and is being acted upon by many countries who are prioritising the vaccination of those over 50 in parallel with vaccinating the more vulnerable in the population. Denmark, an EU country like Ireland and a country with a similar population to Ireland’s, has adopted this approach and is now on course to fully open its society at the end of May when all of the over-50s and other vulnerable people will have been vaccinated. Ireland, however, is ignoring the scientific evidence being followed by other countries. The National Immunisation Advisory Committee has assigned those aged 55 to 64 to priority group 12. Given that it will be May before Group 3, the over-70s, is vaccinated, vaccination of the age-vulnerable 55 to 64 group seems unlikely to happen before the autumn, at best. Do we want to wait that long to protect this age-vulnerable group and to fully open society or do we want to follow the example of countries like Denmark that are following the evidence and in doing so are fast-tracking the opening of their society? The worst, and least moral scenario, would be to start opening society before this age-vulnerable group is vaccinated. – Yours, etc,

MARY SMITH,

Sligo.

Sir, – Another discouraging week at the helm for our Minister for Health. Many doctors around the country shared notes on how little vaccines they have received in comparison to what was expected and promised. They had to call each patient to deliver the devastating news that unfortunately they will now have to wait until May to be “potentially” vaccinated. It’s time for change, and it’s time for a serious conversation with Stephen Donnelly. His time might be better spent on a more local level in Wicklow, or a return to management consultancy. Mr Donnelly recently stated that as well as there being a moral obligation to ensure poorer countries get access to the vaccine, “There’s no point in vaccinating ourselves if large parts of the world aren’t vaccinated.”

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If this statement is not a clear indication of entirely misunderstanding the state he has left his fellow citizens in, I’m not sure there is much hope left for the Department of Health or the Irish people. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL FLANAGAN,

Dublin 6.

Sir, – Reading The Irish Times from overseas, it looks like a number of things are going on – or not going on – in Ireland regarding Covid-19.

On the vaccination front, with supply quantities being what they are, thanks to the efficiencies of central planning, it will be "a long way to Tipperary". Virus transmission will be very marginally reduced by mandatory quarantine of a handful of visitors – a little theatre just to show that the authorities are doing "something". Also on the transmission front, the 5km travel limit remains the futile, ineffective gesture it has always been, a shout against the stars. And then, as Fintan O'Toole explains ("We have chosen not to properly track the virus – the result is endless lockdown", Opinion & Analysis, March 23rd), there is the Irish version of contact-tracing – a worthless, unscientific waste of time.

Jonathan Swift may have got it right – spending tax money to extract sunlight from cucumbers may be the way to go. Nphet, perhaps, should give it serious consideration. It seems like it would be as good as anything else. – Yours, etc,

DENIS COTTER,

Middleburg,

Virginia, US.