Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu is intervening in the failure to prioritise vaccinating Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics and firefighters by Dublin City Council and the HSE.
The situation was expected to be resolved this week, with the rollout of promised vaccines for 1,100 frontline staff, however, this has not materialised.
Following questioning by Independent councillors Anthony Flynn and Christy Burke at a monthly meeting of the council last Monday they were assured that the majority of Dublin Fire Brigade personnel would be inoculated this week.
Their questions came after some vaccine supplies were diverted to nursing homes amid concerns about increased rates of infections in long-term care settings last week.
Additional meetings took place last Tuesday between union representatives and healthcare officials after it emerged that up to 150 paramedics had their appointments for vaccinations cancelled amid reported supply issues.
In a statement Ms Chu said she has been in touch with the HSE regarding vaccinations for members of Dublin Fire Brigade, following calls by Cllrs Flynn and Burke
However, chief fire officer (CFO) Dennis Keeley told Cllr Flynn by email on Thursday that the expedited vaccination programme remains stalled.
The questions posed in correspondence to council chief executive Owen Keegan were answered by the chief fire officer.
Vaccine supplies
Cllr Flynn asked council chief executive Owen Keegan about how many additional inoculations had taken place since Monday's council meeting and whether Mr Keeley could confirm if the doses had been or will be procured for Dublin Fire Brigade for self-inoculation.
Cllr Flynn also queried whether a timeline had been agreed with the CFO and the HSE for a full rollout of the vaccine to all Dublin Fire Brigade members.
He said: “Pressure has be placed on the council [chief executive] from Friday to get the vaccine shambles dealt with immediately as it is in chaos.”
The vaccination programme began on Tuesday, January 12th and was expected to run for three days last week, a number of days this week and finish next week, which was agreed upon by the HSE, National Ambulance Service (NAS) and the Dublin Fire Brigade, subject to the availability of vaccine doses.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, 240 members of the Dublin Fire Brigade were vaccinated but that was the end of that batch of doses and no additional supplies were made available as part of the programme.
“I was informed by HSE/NAS that competing demands and vaccine availability resulted in the postponement of the vaccination programme,” said Cllr Flynn
Up to 1,100 firefighters and paramedics work for Dublin City Council, 80 of whom are not available for duty due to having contracted Covid-19 or because they are close contacts.
Cllr Flynn pointed that he and all councillors have a statutory obligation as does the chief executive to get this impasse solved urgently.
Cllr Burke, said this "impasse and chaos" must be sorted out in the next 48 hours and give frontline workers the "protection they need and work hard for".
"Hopefully the two men will listen to the lord mayor as the vaccine rollout for these men and women needs to happen as soon as possible," Cllr Flynn added.
