Council concerns raised over gap in Covid vaccine doses

CONCERNS have been raised at a meeting of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) around the gap between the first and second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, after a number of health workers spoke out.

Independent councillor Emmet McAleer told members he had been approached by anxious frontline workers around the apparent delay in administration of the second dose.

He said, “It was originally recognised to be three weeks from the initial dose. I understood that was the optimum time for the second dose.”

The Mid Tyrone representative proposed council contact the Department of Health and the Western Trust for clarification, “to ensure the vaccination is as effective as possible”.

“I hope there is no opposition to this,” he added.

Seconding this, fellow independent councillor, Dr Josephine Deehan, advised that Cllr McAleer’s comments were correct, but, “The UK government has decreed this is now delayed to between 10 and 12 weeks, which is not consistent with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

“This puts the UK significantly out of step with the rest of the world. There is considerable concern that the overall efficacy and protection offered by the vaccine is not optimised until a second dose is administered.”

Stressing the matter should be raised urgently, Cllr Deehan also called on the government’s recommendation to be rescinded.
Ulster Unionist councillor Alex Baird accepted one of the vaccine producers stated the second dose should be within three weeks, but added,

“I understand the logic is for more people who can get the first one, which necessitates extending the second for others.”

He added this had been backed by a regulatory body who advised up to 12 weeks was adequate for the second dose in the context of, “By delaying the second, more would get the first.”

However, he did not oppose the call for clarification.

Cllr Siobhan Currie, of Sinn Féin, said, while the issue was concerning, “It’s old news now. The World Health Organisation has said it is within the timeframe. We’ve covered this before.”

The SDLP chair of the meeting, councillor Paul Blake, replied, “It doesn’t do any harm to reinforce it.” The proposal passed unanimously.