Vol. 514 No. 6
194 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will investigate complaints being received by public representatives that the BCG vaccination is being given to children in County Kerry and not in County Cork in spite of the fact that all other health board regions give the BCG to all children in their catchment area. [4860/00]
The provision of BCG vaccination is a matter for individual health boards in the first instance. I have made inquiries of the Southern Health Board and the board has indicated that routine neonatal BCG vaccination was discontinued in much of the greater Cork area in 1972 and that routine BCG vaccination continues to be given to school-children in west Cork and to babies in Kerry.
In its report, published in 1996, the working party on tuberculosis recommended that, in the absence of neonatal BCG, alternative control measures must be strengthened. The Southern Health Board has indicated that rigorous control measures are being addressed in its area, in particular, the use of directly observed therapy to improve compliance with treatment in instances where this might be indicated.
Following the publication of the 1996 report, the national tuberculosis committee was established to oversee its implementation. It continues to keep under review all issues concerning the control and management of tuberculosis.
