The nurses' union and the health authorities have locked horns over COVID jab procedures, with the MUMN insisting there are no directives in place impacting vaccination, despite Health Minister Chris Fearne stating otherwise. 

The issue stems from comments Fearne gave the media on Thursday, after it emerged that some 50 doses had been lost because of delays in the process. Fearne blamed nurses' union action and called for better coordination and team spirit. 

But in a statement on Friday, the MUMN said it was "really surprised and at the same time disappointed" by Fearne's comments. It said that 58 doses had to be discarded on Wednesday because of appointment mix-ups that had nothing to do with the union’s instructions.

The union said there are no industrial directives in place and according to an agreement with the CEO of the Primary Health Care Department (PHCD), no more than 80 doses can be given in a single day at health centres. 

But according to a Health Ministry spokesperson, the 80-dose rule applied to one single team of four nurses and not to one single centre. 

"The number of 80 vaccinations by four nurses a day was derived due to the process of reconstitution of the COVID-19 vaccination," the union had said in its statement. 

But the health spokesperson said that in cases where more than 80 doses needed to be administered, the health authorities assigned more teams of four nurses each.

The spokesperson also dismissed allegations that the CEO of the primary care department is no longer heading the vaccination programme.

The Mater Dei Chief Operating Officer had always been the one tasked with heading the programme and the PHCD CEO only took the lead when the bulk of vaccines were being administered in primary health care centres. 

As of Thursday, a total of 33,477 vaccine doses had been administered, of which 6,457 were second doses.