Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 2

Written Answers. - Vaccination Programme.

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

55 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps, if any, he is taking to contain the spread of measles in view of the low take-up of the MMR vaccine and the threat of a measles epidemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5508/00]

Bernard Allen

Question:

163 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps, if any, he will take to deal with the adverse publicity regarding the alleged link between the MMR vaccine and inflammatory bowel disease and autism; and if he will give special attention to the Southern Health Board area where 87% of children are immunised as against the national target of 95% uptake. [5647/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 163 together.

The operation of the primary childhood immunisation programme is the responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. The current uptake of MMR – measles-mumps-rubella – vaccine nationally is approximately 77%, while the target uptake is 95%. This is a cause for serious concern and my Department has recently written to all the health boards requesting them to make every effort to achieve the national targets in this programme this year and to make particular efforts in relation to MMR.

Among the issues which boards have been asked to address are the need to undertake an analysis of the reasons for the unsatisfactory level of uptake, to ensure that immunisation databases are regularly validated, to address low uptake in the traveller population and to follow up unimmunised children. Boards have been asked to make every effort to devise strategies tailored to local needs, employing innovative approaches if considered necessary, in order to achieve significant improvements in uptake.

The uptake of the MMR vaccine is believed to have been adversely affected by reports which purport to link it to the development of certain conditions or disorders. I would like to take this opportunity to address these concerns. My Department has reviewed the available evidence and is satisfied that the MMR vaccine is a very safe and effective one. There is no evidence to support any link between the MMR vaccine and the subsequent development either of chronic inflammatory bowel disease or of autism. Neither is there evidence that giving each of the component vaccines separately has any greater benefit than the combined vaccine. I would therefore urge all parents to ensure that their children receive the MMR vaccine, which may be given from the age of 15 months and which is available free of charge from their family doctor. This will ensure that individual children and the population generally have maximum protection against measles and other serious diseases.

Frances Fitzgerald

Question:

56 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the vaccine to protect against pneumococcol infection, in particular pneumococcol pneumonia, is not available to medical card holders under the general medical service scheme; the plans, if any, he has to make this vaccine available to medical card holders who would benefit from it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4886/00]

Alan Shatter

Question:

134 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the vaccine to protect against pneumococcol infection, in particular pneumococcol pneumonia, is not available to medical card holders under the general medical services scheme; the plans, if any, he has to make this vaccine available to medical card holders who would benefit from it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5601/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 134 together.

My Department has provided funding to the health boards in 1999 and 2000 for the purchase of stocks of pneumococcal vaccine for administration to general medical service patients in the at-risk categories for this disease and to enable a fee to be paid to general practitioners for its administration.

Discussions have been held between the Health Service Employers' Agency and representatives of general practitioners in this regard. However, an agreement has not as yet been reached.