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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 19 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 5

Written Answers. - Vaccination Programme.

Noel Ahern

Question:

253 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the concerns of parents about having their children vaccinated for MMR and meningitis C; if there are concerns or reports that the meningitis vaccine in particular is linked to autism; if there have been studies, reports or analyses on this issue; the public information programme which is in operation or planned by his Department or agencies under his control to allay public concerns on these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5457/02]

Alan Shatter

Question:

270 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the research undertaken on the effects of vaccination on the immune system; if a connection has been detected between vaccination and Crohn's disease; and the further research to be undertaken in this area. [5578/02]

Seymour Crawford

Question:

272 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Health and Children his proposals to give parents the choice to either use the MMR vaccine or get the three inoculations separately administered by their general practitioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5580/02]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 253, 270 and 272 together.

The primary childhood immunisation programme provides for the immunisation of children up to two years of age against a range of potentially serious infectious diseases. Under the programme parents may have their children immunised free of charge by the general practitioner of their choice. The schedule of immunisation is in accordance with the recommendations of the Immunisation Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland – RCPI. General practitioners are aware of the contraindications to the recommended childhood immunisations and parents should discuss any concerns they may have with their general practitioner before making a decision about their child's immunisation.

MMR vaccine is available under the primary childhood immunisation programme and there is no provision for children to receive separate measles, mumps or rubella vaccinations under this programme. There are sound public health reasons for not administering the MMR as separate vaccines. On the basis of currently available information there is no evidence that giving each of the component vaccines separately has any greater benefit than the combined vaccines. Splitting the MMR vaccine into separate components would involve extra injections for children and would cause both children and the people with whom they come in contact to be exposed to these potentially serious diseases for a much longer period of time and be at greater risk of contracting the diseases concerned. The international consensus is that MMR is a safe and effective vaccine and that the recently published medical evidence does not support a causal link between MMR vaccine and autism or inflammatory bowel disease – Crohn's disease. The institutions involved include the Medical Research Council Expert Committee UK, the British Committee on Safety of Medicines, the World Health Organisation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDCP – USA, the American Academy of Paediatrics, UK professional organisations, the RCGP, the Royal College of Paediatrics, the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, the BMA, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Most recently, the United States Institute of Medicine also concluded that there was no link between the vaccine and autism or inflammatory bowel disease – Crohn's disease. This consensus is based on large-scale epidemiological studies and more specific studies done in the laboratory setting.

The World Health Organisation has indicated that observations made regarding the onset of autism following the administration of MMR vac cine do not meet the scientific criteria required to suggest that the vaccine is the cause. It has also indicated that there has been no new scientific evidence that would suggest impaired safety of MMR. The WHO strongly endorses the use of MMR vaccine on the grounds of its convincing record of safety and efficacy. This view is supported by the Irish Medicines Board and by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. The Joint Committee on Health and Children in its report on childhood immunisation which was published in July 2001 concluded that there is no evidence of a proven link between the MMR vaccine and autism and that there is no evidence to show that the separate vaccines are any safer than the combined MMR vaccine. To my knowledge no other country advocates the use of the three separate vaccines rather than the MMR vaccine.
The Meningitis C vaccine is safe and effective and there is no evidence and no suggestion to my knowledge of a causal relationship between this vaccine and autism. The Irish Medicines Board – IMB – is responsible for the monitoring and safety of all pharmaceutical products in Ireland. The monitoring of vaccine safety is ensured through clinical trials prior to licence and post-licence surveillance by the IMB. Vaccines are designed to strengthen the immune system, not weaken it. The MMR vaccine contains 24 different antigens. Antigens are the chemicals that stimulate the immune system to produce immunity to viruses and other foreign substances. We are all exposed to hundreds of times as many antigens every day in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. The number of antigens contained in the MMR vaccine is minute compared to the total number that the immune system is capable of responding to – up to 100 billion – Offit PA et al. I would like to take this opportunity to urge all parents to have their children immunised against the diseases covered by the childhood immunisation programme in order to ensure that both their children and the population generally have maximum protection against the diseases concerned.
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