HIQA commences health technology assessment on COVID-19 vaccination
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has commenced work on a health technology assessment (HTA) to inform COVID-19 vaccination policy in Ireland. The assessment was requested by the Department of Health and will be submitted as advice to the Minister for Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The aim of this HTA is to provide advice in relation to potential changes to the groups for whom COVID-19 vaccination is funded by the HSE for the 2027 – 2028 vaccination campaign onwards. HIQA has today published the protocol outlining the approach that will be used to complete this assessment.
This HTA is being undertaken in the context of COVID-19 vaccination recommendations published by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) in May 2025. These standing recommendations replace previous interim recommendations and reflect changes in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from a pandemic to an endemic phase.
HIQA’s assessment will describe the epidemiology and burden of COVID-19 and summarise the evidence in relation to the clinical effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines. It will assess the economic impact of alternative COVID-19 vaccination strategies for the subgroups identified in the NIAC recommendations. It will also consider any additional implications relating to potential changes to COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Commenting on the protocol, HIQA’s Deputy Director - Health Technology Assessment, Dr Patricia Harrington, said:
“It has been more than six years since the discovery of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. During this time, we have witnessed the evolution of the virus, the development of different vaccines to protect against severe disease and changes in how COVID-19 impacts our daily lives. The severity of COVID-19 disease has declined over time due to changes in the virus and the establishment of population level immunity through vaccination and prior infection. However older adults and those living with immunocompromise or with certain underlying medical conditions continue to be at increased risk of hospitalisation and severe disease. Within this context, this HTA will examine the potential impacts of changes to COVID-19 vaccination policy in Ireland.”
The protocol for the assessment of COVID-19 vaccination in Ireland is now available.
A draft report will be made available in due course for public consultation prior to being finalised and submitted as advice to inform decision-making by the Minister for Health and the HSE.
ENDS
Further information:
Caoimhe O’Connell, Communications Manager, caoconnell@hiqa.ie
Notes for Editor:
- The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published the following documents:
- The request from the Department of Health follows updated clinical recommendations from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). NIAC’s updated recommendations can be found here.
- In Ireland, access to free COVID-19 vaccination is provided by the HSE for certain groups of people. Information on who can access COVID-19 vaccination and how to do so can be found here.
- COVID-19 became a notifiable disease in Ireland in February 2020. While other notifiable respiratory viruses such as ‘flu and RSV show distinct seasonal trends, to date, SARS-CoV-2 does not. Since September 2025, there have been over 4,600 notified cases of COVID-19, with over 1,600 hospital admissions and over 90 deaths among notified cases. Information on the burden of COVID-19 can be found here.
About HIQA
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is the independent body that promotes safety and quality in the provision of health and social care services in Ireland.
Through its regulation, standard setting and evidence to inform decision-making functions, HIQA supports health and social care services to consistently deliver excellent standards of care and the best possible health and social care outcomes for all.