With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 8, inclusive, together.
I am not aware of any evidence to show that there are children in this country who have been brain damaged as a result of immunisation with triple antigen.
I have seen the report referred to by Deputy Enright. I am aware that there have been suggestions that adverse reactions to vaccinations against pertussis may arise. The medical officers of my Department have discussed the matter on different occasions during the past 12 months with chief medical officers who are responsible for vaccination in their own areas. No serious adverse effects have been reported. I am also advised that the National Drugs Advisory Board which is responsible for receiving reports of adverse reactions to drugs have also had no such reports.
As I pointed out in reply to a parliamentary question on this matter on 14th May, 1974, pertussis can be a serious and sometimes fatal disease. Vaccination against it was recommended by my Department in 1955. In the six years preceding that—that is, from 1950 to 1955—the average number of deaths from pertussis was 64 per year. After the introduction of vaccination there was a marked decrease and during the last decade— from 1964 to 1974—the average number of deaths had fallen to 2.8 per year.
Following adverse publicity since last year concerning adverse reactions to pertussis vaccination there is reason to believe that a drop in vaccination levels may have occurred. Concurrently with this there has been an increase in the number of cases of whooping cough notified and two deaths from the disease were recorded in the first three quarters of 1974.
All vaccines can cause reactions and there is some evidence to suggest that in rare cases these reactions may be serious. It is very difficult however to discern between chance-associated reactions and vaccine-attributable reactions in infants. In all the circumstances I am advised that vaccination against pertussis is still a procedure which should continue to be recommended, subject of course to the exercise in individual cases of his own clinical judgment by the immunising medical officer. The combination of vaccines to be used in individual cases is also a matter for the immunising doctor. Vaccinations are, of course, not compulsory.