Liam Burke
Question:19 Mr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Health if he intends introducing a national hepatitis B vaccine campaign for children.
Written Answers. - Hepatitis B Vaccination.
Nora Owen
Question:26 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health if, in view of recent attacks on Dublin bus drivers, he will ensure that those at risk are offered free vaccination against hepatitis B.
Richard Bruton
Question:34 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he intends introducing a national hepatitis B vaccine campaign for children.
Peter Barry
Question:74 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Health if he intends introducing a national hepatitis B vaccine campaign for children.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 26, 34 and 74 together. Vaccination against hepatitis B is used in Ireland in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation on vaccination and immunisation. In this context, individual countries decide to introduce hepatitis B vaccination, having regard to the epidemiology of the disease. In common with a number of northern European countries in which the incidence of hepatitis B is low, the Department of Health has not introduced a population based vaccination programme against hepatitis B but has decided that the vaccine is made available to groups considered to be at particular risk of contracting the disease. These include certain health care personnel. I am not therefore considering the extension of the programme at present to include children but my Department is keeping the matter under review in the context of the epidemiology of the disease here. The vaccine is also available to organisations such as Dublin Bus in respect of its employees, if they consider it necessary.