Vol. 500 No. 4
245 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children when his Department requested information, including lot numbers, from the manufacturers of the three-in-one vaccine in relation to batch no. 3741; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4042/99]
246 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children when his Department requested information, including lot numbers, from the manufacturers of the three-in-one vaccine in relation to a vaccine batch (details supplied), the information, if any, his Department received following this request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4043/99]
247 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children when his Department requested information, including lot numbers, from the manufacturers of the three-in-one vaccine in relation to 14 batches (details supplied); the information, if any, his Department received following this request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4044/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 245, 246 and 247 together.
In July, 1993 the Department of Health wrote to Wellcome (Ireland) Ltd., requesting information regarding batch 3741 of Trivax vaccine. The company's response indicated that the batch was produced around March, 1968 and that it did not have distribution records available which would show where the vaccine was distributed. Also in July, 1993 the Department wrote to the health boards in an effort to ascertain the extent to which vaccine from batch 3741 had been used in Ireland. The boards did not succeed in tracing any information in this regard. In November 1997, following further consideration of the matter, my Department wrote to Glaxo Wellcome, seeking information on the lots produced from batch 3741. An initial response was received from the company in December 1997 and additional information was received in March 1998. It was on the basis of this information that my Department wrote to the health boards asking them to undertake a further examination of their records.
My Department is still in contact with the company about some issues concerning batch 3741 and has recently also requested information regarding the vaccine batches referred to by the Deputy, as it had no previous information in this regard.
