The Government has asked NPHET to examine the use of vitamin D in the fight against coronavirus.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said he hopes the National Public Health Emergency Team will issue formal advice to be given to the public.
He was responding to Sligo–Leitrim TD Marian Harkin, who raised the issue in the Dáil on Thursday.
She said: “We all know the vaccination roll-out will be somewhat delayed, and we still don’t know if the vaccine will prevent transmission of the virus”.
She said “all ways and means” should be deployed.
“I’ve listened to many medics – including Professor Luke O’Neill this morning – when he recognised and supported the role of vitamin D in boosting the immune system”.
Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show on Thursday, Prof O’Neill said: “The UK are probably going to mandate vitamin D supplementation… and it makes perfect sense, Pat”.
“The criticism always was there hasn’t been a double-blind, placebo controlled trial – but we’re in the middle of a pandemic for God sake”.
“It’s a very safe product… and it’s cheap as chips”.
“The correlation studies are there, which isn’t ideal cause it’s not double-blind, but still they’re very compelling that vitamin D is a protector”.
“We know exactly vitamin D really works for the immune system”.
In response to Deputy Harkin, Mr Varadkar said: “I know it’s been a topic of discussion among the general public and also among healthcare professionals over the past couple of weeks.”
“As I think everyone knows in the House, a lot of Irish people are vitamin D deficient – not least because we don’t have much exposure to the sun – and that is a situation that is now worse than ever, given that people are unable to travel to the sun [destinations].
“There is evidence of benefit in terms of COVID-19 outcomes, and there’s very little evidence of any harm being done should somebody take vitamin D supplements”.
