Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 110 together.
Since 1988 it has been Department of Health policy that all health care staff who have regular contact with blood and other body fluids and are at risk from occupational injury should be vaccinated against hepatitis B. The vaccination of staff working outside the health services is a matter in the first instance for the employing authority.
I should also point out that under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations, 1994, every employer has a duty to assess the risk of exposure of employees to hepatitis. If that risk assessment reveals that there is a risk to the health of employees due to their exposure then vaccination must be offered free of charge to employees.
The report to which the Deputy refers did not specifically recommend the introduction of hepatitis B vaccine into the routine primary childhood immunisation programme. However, it did recommend immunisation for a number of at risk groups which include infants deemed to be at risk due to the positive hepatitis B status of their mothers. The report further recommends that the prevalence of hepatitis B in the community should be monitored with a view to making a decision in the future on whether to introduce the vaccine. In this situation we are at one with a number of other low prevalence, north-western European countries, including the UK. In the meantime, hepatitis B vaccine is available to all high risk groups.
In addition a circular was issued to all health agencies advising them of screening procedures for hepatitis B to be introduced from 1 January 1997 for new employees in posts which involve exposure-prone procedures.
