Swann hits out at anti-vax protesters who targeted female healthcare staff
ANTI-VAXXERS targeted young female healthcare staff and told them the Covid-19 jab would affect their fertility, it has emerged.
Health Minister Robin Swann appeared in front of the Stormont health committee yesterday to provide an update on the pandemic response to date, and told members that a group of anti-vax campaigners staged a protest outside a trust vaccination centre last week.
He said the message being given to trust staff as they arrived for their vaccine was “quite negative, quite wrong, potentially quite damaging”.
Mr Swann also defended the decision to delay the second dose of the Pfizer/biontech vaccine for frontline healthcare staff.
The British Medical Association, which represents doctors across the UK, has been highly critical of the move and has said there is no evidence to prove that the move is safe. However, Mr Swann said taking the step will ensure more people are vaccinated quicker, which will increase the number of people who have some immunity to Covid-19.
He said the decision has the backing of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Sage advisors and independent Sage.
Mr Swann also ruled out the possibility of using the military to support Northern Ireland’s struggling ambulance service.
He said there are plans to use police officers and firefighters to drive ambulances but it is not possible to deploy the military.
He explained they are “not certified drivers in Northern Ireland” so they would still need to be accompanied by another blue light vehicle.
He was asked about using military personnel to help roll out the vaccination programme but Mr Swann said a significant proportion of military reservists are already employed by the health service in Northern Ireland.
“I only wish there was a battalion of ICU nurses I could call on,” he said.
Mr Swann was also challenged about the suspension of early abortion services in the South Eastern Trust.
Referring to the stay at home message, Alliance Party MLA Paula Bradshaw said: “It’s very regrettable that the South Eastern Trust has not been able to continue its early medical abortion service. Obviously these are not commissioned services and the advice to women who are presenting is to travel to England.
“Minister, there is a lot of very vulnerable, isolated young women out there who are looking for leadership and access to services in this... I don’t want the response regarding that this is a contentious issue and it’s up to the Executive to decide on, but I would like you to explain to the women out there why you haven’t brought forward abortion services and why you haven’t introduced telemedicine here when you have done it for other branches of health here.”
The UUP minister maintained that “abortion in Northern Ireland is a contentious issue” and the matter is with the Executive.