Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Jun 1998

Vol. 492 No. 4

Written Answers. - Hepatitis A Incidence.

Dinny McGinley

Question:

28 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of outbreaks of hepatitis A within each health board area in the past 12 months; the plans, if any, he has to put in place a system to identify outbreaks of this disease in schools; and whether immunisation against infection from hepatitis A is available to teachers in schools free of charge. [14121/98]

Theresa Ahearn

Question:

30 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of outbreaks of hepatitis A within each health board area in the past 12 months; the plans, if any, he has to put in place a system to identify outbreaks of this disease in schools; and whether immunisation against infection from hepatitis A is available to teachers in schools free of charge. [14120/98]

Alan Shatter

Question:

218 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of outbreaks of hepatitis A within each health board area in the past 12 months; the plans, if any, he has to put in place a system to identify outbreaks of this disease in schools; and whether immunisation against infection from hepatitis A is available to teachers in schools free of charge. [14274/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 30 and 218 together.

Hepatitis A is a notifiable disease under the Infectious Diseases Regulations, 1981 and the number of cases of hepatitis A notified by health boards to my Department for the 12 months period 23 May 1997 to 22 May 1998, the most recent date for which complete returns are available, is as follows:

Eastern Health Board	135
Midland Health Board	80
Mid-Western Health Board	18
North-Eastern Health Board	9
North-Western Health Board	2
South-Eastern Health Board	7
Southern Health Board	69
Western Health Board	22
Total	342

Under the regulations, medical practitioners are required to notify their health board of all cases of hepatitis A, and health boards in turn notify my Department weekly of the number of cases occurring in their area. The control of infectious diseases is the statutory responsibility of the health boards, who employ a range of appropriate measures when an outbreak occurs, which includes the identification of potential outbreaks linked to the school setting.

My Department's policy on this issue is guided by the advice of the Immunisation Advisory Committee, an expert group established by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. The committee's guidelines indicate that those with recent close contact with infected individuals may be considered for immunisation. If there is evidence to suggest transmission within a school, immunisation may be considered for susceptible teachers, to cover the period of the outbreak. In such cases the vaccine is provided free of charge.