Press release
First Meeting of the High-Level taskforce on COVID-19 vaccination
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
The first full meeting of the High-Level Task Force on Covid-19 Vaccination took place yesterday, 23rd November 2020 and was chaired by Professor Brian MacCraith.
The Task Force membership is made up of senior representatives from the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, the Office of Government Procurement, IDA Ireland, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of the Taoiseach, together with expertise in the area of logistics.
At yesterday’s meeting, the Task Force agreed their terms of reference and the overall objective of its work. The agreed terms of reference are as follows –
1. To support the Department of Health and Health Service Executive to deliver a COVID-19 immunisation programme, that meets best practice and provides good governance, as a critical public health intervention in the prevention and control of COVID-19.
2. Working with the Department of Health and Health Service Executive, to develop a national COVID-19 vaccination strategy and implementation plan for the safe, effective and efficient procurement, distribution, delivery and recording of COVID-19 vaccines when approved vaccines are ready to be distributed.
3. To provide a focal point for engagements with sectoral and specialist expertise as may be needed to support the development, implementation and agile iteration of the strategy/plan.
4. To monitor progress and report to Government, as may be required, on the development and implementation of the strategy/plan.
The Task Force will work with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to have a national COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy and Implementation Plan prepared for Government on the 11th December 2020, which they will then consider.
Prof. MacCraith said:
It is very clear that we can build upon the significant work already underway in the Department of Health and HSE. I am very pleased with the progress made at the first full meeting of the Task Force and I am satisfied that we have the right team in place to support with the complexity, scale and urgency of the task in hand.
The next meeting of the Task Force is scheduled for Monday 30th November 2020.