asked the Minister for Health if he will state (a) the estimated total number of children in the specified age groups for whom he recently made supplies of anti-polio-myelitis vaccine available through health authorities, (b) the number of children who availed of the service, (c) the number of children vaccinated, if any, who subsequently developed anterior poliomyelitis, and (d) the number of children, if any, in these groups who were not vaccinated, and who developed anterior poliomyelitis, and, further, if he will state the age group to which it is proposed to offer such a vaccination service in 1958.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Anti-Poliomyelitis Vaccine.
(a) Health authorities have been authorised to make vaccination against poliomyelitis available for children over one and under five years of age. The total number of children in this group is approximately 250,000. (b) Final figures of vaccinations carried out are not yet available, (c) No case has been reported in which paralytic poliomyelitis has followed vaccination. (d) The number of unvaccinated children in the eligible age groups who contracted paralytic poliomyelitis since the scheme was introduced was 12.
The arrangements for vaccination against poliomyelitis during 1958 are at present being considered.
Has the Minister any idea when the figures will be available——
No, I cannot say that.
——for those vaccinations?
I cannot say that. They will be forthcoming as promptly as they can be secured.
I shall ask the question again.
asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that sufficient supplies of anti-polio vaccine are made available to private practitioners in the coming year, in order that parents of children outside the eligible age groups under the free schemes may have their children vaccinated if they so wish.
Polio vaccine is not manufactured in this country and I am not in a position, therefore, to ensure that supplies will be made available in any specified quantity or for any specified groups. The supplies of poliomyelitis vaccine for the present scheme operated by health authorities have been made available by the manufacturers on condition that the vaccine would be used only in an officially sponsored scheme. While it is possible that the control of distribution by the manufacturing countries will be modified in the near future, I am unable to say when supplies for the groups mentioned by the Deputy will be available.