Vol. 410 No. 7
131 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Health if his Department intend to initiate a programme of inoculation of children against Hepatitis B in view of the reported recommendations of the World Health Organization that all children under 12 should be immunised; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
As the Deputy may be aware, my Department have introduced guidelines recommending that all health care staff who have regular contact with blood and are at risk from personal occupational injury should be vaccinated against Hepatitis B.
There is a very low incidence of the hepatitis B virus amongst children in Ireland and consequently the introduction of a national immunisation programme is not planned at this stage.
