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THE HSE HAS said it will be calling on “key influential groups” to help with its communications strategy for the rollout of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Tomorrow the Covid-19 vaccine taskforce will present its overall strategy to the government and it is expected to be put before Cabinet early next week.
Speaking at the HSE’s weekly briefing today, CEO Paul Reid said one of the work streams of the taskforce has been the whole area of communications.
“That will involve strategic communication up to and before the vaccination programme and when the vaccination programme commences, and obviously in the operation and implementation of it,” he said.
Reid said the HSE will be “calling on very key influential groups to play a part”.
“From our perspective the more very influential groups that come out unambiguously and clear, the more helpful it is for us. Anti-vaxxers and anti-vaxxer campaigns, we want to stay well ahead of that and get clear, precise information out.”
Last week the Taoiseach said he would be willing to publicly receive the vaccine on television. Research by RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne found over nine out of ten TDs would get a Covid-19 vaccine if it was available to them.
In a statement yesterday, a group representing Irish bishops said it is “morally permissible” for Catholics to take a Covid-19 vaccine that involves using foetal cell lines. Most Covid-19 vaccines in development do not use human cells to produce them.
Although Reid said the vaccine developments in recent weeks meant people could look forward to 2021 with greater hope and optimism, he urged people to stay the course over the Christmas period.
He said the HSE wants to avoid a high number of cases, each with a higher number of close contacts, in the period just after Christmas, when the health services generally come under the most pressure.
“There is high demand in a normal year for non-Covid services but our challenge this year is doubled. We will have to meet the demand but also the demand of what we are seeing in the projected higher cases,” he said.
He urged people to make “sensible and safe” decisions about what to do over the holidays and in particular to keep the number of contacts down.
“The personal judgments that we make and how we live, how we visit, how we meet our friends and family over Christmas, will be key to protecting the health service,” he said.
“I know some people have an intention and a natural and understandable intention, to say ‘I will have a higher number of contacts for a few days over Christmas, and then I will reduce them rapidly’.
“Unfortunately, the circumstances that we know will happen with that, a high number of contacts will lead to a high spread of the virus.”
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My brother has had 2 kidney transplants first one from our dad and second time from a donor as a family we cannot thank them for being willing to donate organs and their loved ones enough for carrying out their wishes despite their heartbreak and grief. Please let your loved ones know if you want to donate your organs
I will be eternally grateful to my donors family. It is a difficult decision for families at a very difficult time. My donor saved four lives and impacted many many more lives. I know my donors family were happy to see something incredible happen for others out of a very tragic accident. Make your own views known to your nearest and dearest, it makes the decision easier and it makes a huge difference. The gift of life.
It should be an automatic enrolment on the donor list, opt out if you have strong preferences against it
Not hard to implement, and could do away with situations where next of kin aren’t sure of loved one’s wishes, and don’t donate their loved ones organs – “Just in case they wouldn’t have wanted it”.
With an opt-out system we gain hugely I think
And if you’re a transplant recipient – always – send a letter of thanks. It’s anonymous but the comfort it brings to donor families is enormous.
@Niall Sheridan: some can’t believe it or not its a really hard letter to write, the enormity of which shouldn’t be under estimated.
Ireland should operate an automatic opt in system for ORG donations.
Be a hero be a donor
Agreed, why not implement a opt out system in line with the UK system Max and Keira’s Law’. Doubtless the government will engage some external consultants, a couple of years and several millions later, they will reach this conclusion.
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 7. We always knew there was an increased risk of kidney disease that would ultimately end In a transplant. What we didn’t expect was when she was 19 to be told she would at some point need at least one liver transplant due to a rare autoimmune liver condition.
(The condition eventually comes back after transplant but can be slowed down) some at the same point she is, by the age of 40 have had 5 transplants, others have had none. Ireland don’t do live liver transplants either as I wanted to be a donor.
Her condition further deteriorated after 18 months due to another chronic severe autoimmune disease. It’s an extremely rare combinations of autoimmune conditions.
I’m not sure how viable my organs will be when I die but whatever they can use they can have. When we die our bodies will be cremated or they will rot where they could be used to actually save lives and give people a chance to live those lives to the full.
have your say