The Coombe Hospital has launched an independent investigation into how 16 family members of staff were vaccinated against coronavirus this month.
The board of the Dublin hospital said it decided to commission the investigation due to the “serious nature of the matter.”
It has also decided to give full responsibility for the hospital’s vaccine rollout to one of its senior clinicians.
On Sunday, the hospital confirmed that it administered leftover vaccine doses to 16 family members of staff – including two of its Master's children.
The hospital said the 16 doses were leftover and would have been discarded if they were not used.
The following day, the Rotunda Hospital said it had administered leftover doses to 37 people, including local GPs and members of other vulnerable groups.
It said the doses came from “remnants” of vaccine left in some vials after it had already administered all 558 doses they were supposed to contain.
It insisted administering the extra doses was the “morally correct thing to do and a wholly appropriate response in the setting of a pandemic.”
It said all 37 people took the vaccine “in the full knowledge they were receiving a non-approved vaccine remnant.”
The Government has since instructed hospitals to have a list of frontline healthcare workers on standby for vaccination in case there are leftover doses.
