DUNDALK MAN HEADS VACCINCE ROLLOUT
DUNDALK-BORN Professor Brian MacCraith is to head the new government vaccine task force which will oversee the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines in Ireland once they are approved by the statutory authorities.
Details of the task force were revealed in the Dail following questioning from Deputy Ruairi Ó Murchú to Taoiseach Michéal Martin.
Other members of the Taskforce will include The Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan ,Paul Reid, CEO of the HSE. senior civil servant and chair of the senior officials group on Covid-19, Liz Canavan, Barry Lowry, Government chief information officer; and Paul Quinn, Government chief procurement officer.
The Sinn Féin TD said: ‘I welcome the reports that the European Commission is close to signing a contract with Pfizer and BioNTech, this is the fourth vaccine contract, and we know that a number of phase three vaccine trials are ongoing.
‘We must engage in discussions on an all-Ireland response to vaccination and the capacity to administer vaccines. People must receive vaccines based on need and not just based on economics.
‘I welcome the confirmation from the Taoiseach that the Government has been part of the European Commission approach in the pre-purchase of vaccines, affirming Pfizer and BioNTech as one of the partnerships in which a contract is being explored and very close to conclusion.
‘Other vaccines are being worked on by Sanofi, Janssen and Oxford-AstraZeneca.
‘ The establishment of task force to be headed by Dundalk Prof. Brian MacCraith, former President of Dublin City University is significant.
‘ This task force will lead the logistics operation required for both the physical procurement of the vaccine and the establishment of distribution networks for vaccine administration.
‘While we must continue in our efforts on fighting the pandemic with proactive public health measures and investment in testing, tracing, isolating. This task force representative of people with key roles will ensure we not only purchase the vaccines but are able to distribute them to the population.
‘I welcome this announcement and wish to extend my best wishes to Professor MacCraith’.