Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn has warned that no vaccine is 100 per cent effective and there would be “breakthrough” cases of the coronavirus among those who had been fully vaccinated.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s News at One on Thursday, he urged people to get their second dose and not to be put off by cases of Covid infection among those who had been fully vaccinated. The situation was comparable to wearing a seat belt, he said.
The majority of people who died in road accidents had been wearing a safety belt, but that did not mean that safety belts did not work, he said. It reflected the fact that the vast majority of people wore safety belts when driving, but some would be involved in accidents.
This is reflected in our ICU & mortality data. Since April:
- of 169 adults admitted to ICU with COVID-19 just 6 had been fully vaccinated ≥14 days prior to their diagnosis;
- of 155 adults who have died with COVID-19 just 7 had been fully vaccinated ≥14 days prior to their dx— Dr Ronan Glynn (@ronan_glynn) August 12, 2021
The risk of severe injury or death in an accident would be much lower if they were wearing a safety belt, he added.
This meant that a proportion of people who had been fully vaccinated would still get Covid-19, and in some cases get very sick from it. However, the length of stay would be shorter if they had been vaccinated, and they were less likely to end up in critical care.
The vast majority who were now contracting Covid-19 experienced only mild symptoms, he said. A small minority would have serious complications.
He said fewer serious outcomes were now being seen when compared to other periods during the pandemic. “But we’re not out of the woods yet,” he added.
Vaccine information
Dr Glynn encouraged parents and guardians to go to reputable sources for information about vaccination for 12- to 15-year-olds. His advice was to be properly informed. Vaccination for this cohort was important for children with underlying conditions themselves or who lived in households where there were those at risk.
“The advice is strong for any child with underlying medical conditions to avail of the vaccinations and equally any child who lives in a household with other potentially vulnerable people should get vaccinated.” The vaccination campaign was a key part of the plan to get back to normality and for children to return to school.
For the vast majority, the risk of ending up seriously unwell with Covid-19 was preventable through vaccination. The ambition was to get as many people as possible vaccinated “so we can get back to a level as close to normal as quickly as possible,” he said.
“I implore everyone to get vaccinated. If they have had only the first dose, get the second dose, so they will be fully protected.”
The numbers were going in the right direction “everything bar the disease itself.”
“We have to be hopeful,” he said.
