Teachers at a special needs school in the east received Covid-19 vaccines as yet another incidence of queue jumping emerges

More special needs teachers have received Covid-19 vaccines ahead of where they are in the vaccination queue, it emerged today.

A HSE briefing heard the south east community healthcare area and the Ireland East Hospital Group vaccinated a group of special needs teachers.

It follows revelations yesterday that special needs teachers in Wicklow received the jab.

A spokeswoman for the Ireland East Hospital Group confirmed it has come to the HSE’s attention, where a small number of staff members at a special school received the vaccine on the basis of having been registered as healthcare workers eligible through Cohort 2 of the sequencing process.

"While the staff in question are engaged in very valued work with children with disabilities (many of whom are in the very high or high-risk categories), these employees should not have received the vaccine as part of Cohort 2 – although the decision to administer was made in good faith," she said.

She added the HSE takes seriously any incidence where vaccines are not correctly allocated in line with the applicable guidelines and are “ensuring checks to prevent repetition and apologise for the error identified in Wexford."

HSE chief Paul Reid told the briefing the HSE had looked at the vaccination of special needs assistants and found it happened in two community care areas of the HSE with another due to report back.

HSE official Ann O Connor said the teachers would have been in special schools co-located with disability services where other staff were eligible for vaccines.

There would be a "lot of interacting" on the same campus with very vulnerable people and that is how the special needs teachers may have been wrongly included.

Mr Reid said no malice or ill-intent was at play .

Questioned about board members of the Mater Hospital being offered Covid-19 vaccines, he said this was a breach of schedule. He will be speaking to the Mater about the issue, he added.

Asked about the high number of people in the frontline healthcare worker category who got vaccines he said it is impossible to define how many people might have abused the system.

It is not based on grade, but on the judgment of people on levels of risk, he added.

Meanwhile, Colm Henry, chief clinical officer of the HSE said a small number of healthcare workers who received the Covid-19 vaccine have tested positive for Covid-19.

He said it shows how the vaccine is not 100pc effective but the levels of infection in healthcare settings have collapsed.

He said that schools continue to be low risk settings and 94pc of outbreaks since February involved fewer than 10 people .

Mr Reid said it is planned to open the computer portal where people aged 65 to 69 can register for a vaccine from April 19 or sooner.

People in this age group who cannot use a computer can get on to the HSE where their details will be taken.

There are increasing signs the spread of Covid-19 is falling although the HSE said there is a need to remain cautious.

The 14-day incidence of the virus fell by 18pc to 150 per 100,000 last week.

The number of patients in hospital with the virus has dropped to 226 and the numbers in intensive care are down to 54.

Admissions to hospitals have also slowed.

Next week it is planned to carry out 180,000 to 190,000 vaccinations and it could rise to 200,000 the week after.

The promise to carry out 250,000 vaccinations a week will not happen until the end of the month or early May.

Today saw the millionth person here receive a Covid-19 vaccine.

Asked about concerns over a very rare number of blood clots in people who received AstraZeneca vaccine abroad Dr Henry said there is no vaccine without side effects.

He said it is clear the balance of benefits greatly favour the vaccine over exposure to the virus and all the risks that brings .

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee, which provides guidance on vaccine, are meeting today and tomorrow.

They will look at different groups such as those who are older or have underlying conditions .

New walk-in testing centres are to open tin Mulhuddart, Limerick city, Ballyfermot, Palmerstown, Dublin 8 and Waterford.

Online Editors