In the time available the Eastern Health Board has not been able to undertake a detailed examination of individual vaccination records for the period concerned. The information available indicates that in the board's area adverse reactions were noted in 73 children who were recipients of vaccine from the lots quoted. The number of children involved in each case was as follows: Lot 84019, 9 children; Lot 84657, 25 children; Lot 84769, 39 children.
It is not possible to classify these cases as to whether they were serious or non-serious, as it would appear that few, if any, were reported at the time to the National Drugs Advisory Board, now the Irish Medicines Board, which has a system of classification of the adverse reactions notified to it. It is known that four of the cases referred to above involved the hospitalisation of the child and as such would usually be classified as serious adverse reactions.
In so far as the other health boards are concerned, one board, the North-Western Health Board, has indicated that 41 children were vaccinated with Trivax, lot number 84657 in 1972/3 and that there are no records of any severe reactions in these cases. The Midland Health Board has indicated that it is unable to locate any records for the period concerned. The Western Health Board has not identified any records of usage of the vaccine numbers quoted. The board indicates that there are a number of records against which there are no batch numbers shown. The Mid-Western Health Board, the North-Eastern Health Board, the South-Eastern Health Board and the Southern Health Board have all indicated that an extensive examination of records would be necessary in order to ascertain whether vaccine from the lot numbers in question was used and that this was not feasible in the time available. The Irish Medicines Board has indicated that from 1972 to 1973 four suspected adverse reaction reports associated with the use of Trivax were notified to the board. No information was provided to the board as to the vaccine batch or lot numbers in these cases.