Vol. 522 No. 2
262 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals he has to put in place a compensation scheme for affected children in view of the Governments acceptance of adverse reactions to the three in one vaccine. [18315/00]
I have no plans to put in place a compensation scheme such as the Deputy suggests.
It is recognised that, in common with other vaccines and therapeutic substances, adverse reactions to three-in-one vaccine can occur. It has been considered in this country, as in all other countries using this vaccine, that the benefits to children far outweigh the potential risks and help to protect them from the serious consequences of a previously prevalent disease. The great majority of adverse reactions to vaccination are non-serious and temporary in nature. The identification and use of contraindications to particular vaccines helps further to reduce any potential risk.
As indicated to the Deputy in my reply to question number 290 on 11 April 2000, an adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting system is operated by the Irish Medicines Board and information collected through this system is an important method of monitoring drug safety in normal clinical practice, by increasing knowledge about known adverse drug reactions and also by acting as an early warning system for the identification of previously unrecognised adverse reactions.
