A review for the HSE into how Covid-19 vaccines at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin were given to a group of teachers at a private school in Bray has found that there was no evidence the school had solicited the vaccines.
The 83-page unpublished report, seen by RTÉ News, says that the school acted in good faith and on the assurances of the hospital CEO that the offer of the vaccines was entirely legitimate, above board and with the permission of the HSE.
The review says: "The choice of the school was considered feasible because, for legitimate family reasons, the CEO had the mobile phone number of the headmistress of the school."
The external review was sought by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly after it emerged that the Beacon Hospital had administered vaccines to 20 teachers at St Gerard's private school in Bray on 23 March, using vaccines supplied by the HSE.
When the issue emerged, the minister asked the HSE to suspend vaccine operations at the hospital.
At the time, the Beacon Hospital said that while it was not in line with the vaccination sequencing guidelines, the vaccination of teachers was carried out to avoid the wastage of vaccines at the end of a clinic and that the use of the vaccines was time-bound.
The HSE review has concluded that the Beacon Hospital vaccination programme had two main weaknesses.
The first was that it relied on a predictable flow of people to be vaccinated and the second was that vaccine doses were drawn into syringes, in advance of people attending for vaccination, and contrary to the HSE's clinical guidance.
The report says that the Beacon Hospital Vaccination Centre came on stream at a critical point in the national vaccination programme.
It says the centre contributed significantly to the vaccination of non-acute healthcare staff at a time when it was critical for these staff to maintain or restore the delivery of services to vulnerable groups.
