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File photo of Simon Harris Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Unions claim rollout of HPV vaccine for boys is in doubt over staffing levels within the HSE

Health Minister Simon Harris said the programme would go ahead in September as planned.

CONCERNS OVER STAFFING levels could delay the rollout of the HPV vaccine for boys, according to a number of unions. 

The government and the HSE is planning to extend the HPV vaccine – currently only administered to girls – to boys following a report from HIQA last year. 

The virus has been linked to a number of cancers including cervical, anal and penile cancers, and the vaccine is seen as a preventative measure to stop these developing. 

Some 75% of HPV-linked cancers develop in women and 25% occur in men. 

However, a dispute with the HSE over whether there are enough nurses available to administer the vaccine has thrown the rollout of the programme into doubt. 

The issue was raised during talks this week at the Work Place Relations Commission this week and three unions – the Irish Medical organisation (IMO), the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisations (INMO), and Forsa - issued a joint-statement this afternoon. 

It said: “The IMO, INMO and Fórsa are fully committed to the rollout of the HPV vaccine to boys. In fact, we were at the forefront of seeking the extension of the vaccination to boys, as individual unions, and also as part of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

There is an issue in respect of adequate staff numbers to provide the extension of the vaccine without increasing the workforce.

“There is currently a recruitment pause, as well as an acute staffing shortage, while in the meantime this rollout represents additional workload.”

A ‘recruitment freeze’ within the HSE was introduced in April despite dozens of posts remaining unfilled. 

In a response to criticism, the HSE said the freeze only applied to hospital groups which did not produce a budget plan for the year. 

Today, Minister Simon Harris said there will be no delay in making the HPV vaccine available to boys from September. 

https://twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD/status/1142107863747354624

“There will be no delay in the rollout of the HPV vaccine for boys. It is a vital and life saving measure and rollout will proceed as planned in September,” he said in a tweet this afternoon. 

“[The HSE] has confirmed this to me today. Resources will be in place & have been provided by government.”

INMO general secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said making the HPV vaccine available to boys could only happen if staffing levels were increased. 

Meanwhile, chair of the IMO’s public health and community health committee, Dr Ann Hogan said she was concerned for the number of unfilled vacancies around the country. 

”The IMO is concerned that the resources allocated for the HPV for boys will not be sufficient for the successful roll out of this initiative,” Hogan said. 

“I am concerned at the many unfilled posts and vacancies in community health departments throughout the country.”

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    Mute Crocodylus Pontifex
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    Mar 1st 2022, 3:31 PM

    Come on students of UCD, don’t tell us you have forgotten what a full scale student protest is

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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Mar 1st 2022, 3:37 PM

    @Crocodylus Pontifex: normally you can’t prevent them marching- not one to the Chinese embassy in last two years Spend some time with us at Orwell Road too

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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Mar 1st 2022, 3:36 PM

    Good man Ben- proud of you.

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    Mute Bopper Bops Holland
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    Mar 1st 2022, 3:55 PM

    @Jonathan O’Riordan: he resigned from one position

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    Mute Bopper Bops Holland
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    Mar 1st 2022, 3:57 PM

    @Bopper Bops Holland: and a part time one at that

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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Mar 1st 2022, 5:23 PM

    @Bopper Bops Holland: so he is still making a point, more than most

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    Mute Alan Leahy
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    Mar 1st 2022, 4:04 PM

    Does his resignation come with a pay cut or is it the same pay package, now with less responsibility?

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    Mute Tony Harris
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    Mar 1st 2022, 4:36 PM

    @Alan Leahy: Might it be a mealy mouthed resignation?

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    Mute diarmuid
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    Mar 1st 2022, 5:45 PM

    You might mention that he’s a director of the Irish Defence and Security Association, a lobby group for the arms industry in Ireland.

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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Mar 1st 2022, 8:30 PM

    @diarmuid: don’t see the relevance, but glad to hear that Ireland is making €38m off software and technology as an industry. If not us then it would be someone else

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    Mute Fergus Quinlan
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    Mar 1st 2022, 5:56 PM

    The western media have won the day….war has come in one door as truth and reason fled out the other..NATO…who have worked hard for this moment …wine and dine with the arms salesmen…

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    Mute Jim Monaghan
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    Mar 1st 2022, 4:55 PM

    Russia treats Ukraine in the same way the USA treats Cuba. It is the equivalent of Ireland to Russia. The invasion has to be opposed. Putin’s war of aggression has damaged us all. Aside for economic consequences, it could lead to a world war.

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    Mute Roger Bond
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    Mar 1st 2022, 6:35 PM

    @Jim Monaghan: Do you remember the Cuba crisis where America threatened Nuclear war if Russia didn’t get out of Cuba.
    Russia now doesn’t want NATO, US with bases in Ukraine.

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    Mute Disco Inferno
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    Mar 1st 2022, 6:39 PM

    @Roger Bond: that’s because the USSR had placed and threatened to place, nuclear arms facilities on thr Island of cuba, so its not the same, not by a long shot

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Mar 1st 2022, 8:45 PM

    @Disco Inferno: the USSR was placing nuclear weapons in Cuba because the US had placed them in Turkey. So it was tit for tat only the US weren’t going to have any tat and instead threatened all out war. Russia’s anxiety regarding Ukraines potential membership of NATO is that the US will place missile systems, which they have already placed in other NATO countries, which are capable of neutralising Russia’s nuclear deterrent and therefore unbalancing the MAD status quo. Their reasoning is sound but their actions are appalling. But the world has a history of powerful countries acting appallingly simply because they can. There are other countries with whom we are closely aligned who have acted in the exact same manner but do not receive our condemnation. The wests hypocrisy is also appalling

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Mar 2nd 2022, 6:44 AM

    @Roger Bond: do you? Remember the Cuban missile crisis or is it something you’ve just read about in your schoolbooks so you “know” about it! History is different if you’ve lived through it to what shows up in books 40 or 50 years later when the hindsight is 20/20 and everyone has died….

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    Mute Gerard Collins
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    Mar 1st 2022, 4:59 PM

    Delores Cahill!?

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