asked the Minister for Health what is the estimated additional number of children who will be vaccinated free of charge following the recent change of policy by him in regard to polio vaccination; if any upper limit for expenditure by health authorities has been fixed by his Department, and, if so, what is the estimated total additional cost which is to be permitted to health authorities; and, if health authorities find that they are exceeding permitted expenditure, what category of children are to be excluded under the new free scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Polio Vaccination Scheme.
I do not accept the assumption made in the first part of the question; there has been no change of policy in connection with the provision of free vaccination against poliomyelitis. I am adhering to the principle enunciated in my Department's circular of 17th May, to wit, that parents who cannot, without undue hardship, provide out of their own resources for the vaccination of their children are entitled to avail of the public anti-polio vaccination service free of charge. I see no reason to change my view that it would be unjustifiable to impose additional burdens by way of rates and taxes on the lower income and middle income groups generally in order to provide anti-polio vaccination free for all comers.
asked the Minister for Health what percentage of the total child population at risk it is estimated will be vaccinated this year under the polio vaccination scheme.
Having regard to the fact that the value of anti-polio vaccination measures is becoming more widely appreciated and in view also of the considerable extension of the age limits of the eligible groups, it is probable that the number of children who will be presented for vaccination this year will be greatly in excess of the number presented last year.
From the financial point of view, accordingly, it would not be prudent to proceed on the assumption that the number of children participating in the current year will be appreciably less than the total number of children in the eligible groups.
asked the Minister for Health whether, in view of the value of polio vaccination in preventing childhood infection, he will institute a national campaign, through the use of the usual propaganda methods, urging on all parents the desirability of having their children vaccinated against poliomyelitis.
The value of poliomyelitis vaccination has been given widespread publicity in the national and local Press and by me. It is moreover the practice of health authorities to give suitable publicity to their arrangements for the provision of vaccination. In the circumstances, I do not consider that further measures are necessary to bring the matter to the notice of the public.
asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the proposed extension of the scheme for anti-polio vaccination of children; and if he will include in the proposed scheme provision to cover those parents who come within the scheme and who had already undertaken the expense of having children vaccinated against polio.
The arrangements proposed will be administered by health authorities and will extend to children over six months and under ten years of age of parents and guardians in the classes specified in Section 15 (2) of the Health Act, 1953, which include persons in the upper range of the middle income group who would be unable, without undue hardship, to provide the service for their dependants.
Charges will be made in accordance with the following scale for the full course of three injections: 15/- each, where one or two children from the same family participate; and 10/- each, where three or more children from the same family participate.
As the charges are intended to meet substantially the cost of the service to health authorities, provision is not included in the scheme for the expenses of vaccination carried out under private arrangement.
Would the Minister ease the public mind in regard to this matter? If there is an outbreak, such as we had in the last two years, will he ensure that all children are vaccinated.
All I can tell the Deputy is that, if an outbreak should occur, it will be as well handled under my auspices as it was under my predecessor's in the Department of Health.
That will not ease the public mind.
We want it to be as good.