Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 4 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 1

Written Answers. - Vaccination Programme.

Monica Barnes

Question:

42 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will review procedures for the distribution of vaccines and proper record keeping in respect of childhood vaccination, in view of the recent series of disturbing reports regarding failures and inadequacies of the current systems. [9975/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The administration of the childhood immunisation programme is a matter, in the first instance, for the health boards. Since December 1995 general practitioners have been contracted by the health boards to deliver the primary childhood immunisation programme.

In view of the level of administration of oral polio vaccine, OPV, after its expiry date my Department has already requested health boards to examine systems and procedures currently in place, to identify shortcomings where these exist and to put in place revised systems-procedures as a matter of urgency.

In addition health boards have been requested to take appropriate measures in respect of all vaccines administered from this point forward to ensure the validation of all key information, that is patient name, batch number and expiry date, by cross reference to registration and supply databases.

Health boards have also been asked to examine how the administration of out-of-date vaccines occurred and the measures which should be put in place to prevent a recurrence. This matter has also been brought to the attention of the Irish College of General Practitioners who have been asked to review the matter and to consider the development of protocols in respect of vaccine administration.

In addition, the chief executive officers of the health boards have established a national immunisation steering committee, which is addressing a wide range of issues relating to the primary childhood immunisation programme. This will include consideration of the protocols for administration of vaccines, whether new mechanisms need to be developed to guard against possible use of vaccine which has passed its expiry date and to ensure that vaccines are administered in accordance with best practice.

In addition, the Irish Medicines Board has been requested by my Department to consider the introduction of peel-off labels for all vaccines which would contain the batch number and the expiry date of the vaccine. This system would minimise recording errors, particularly in relation to batch number and expiry date, and improve the quality of vaccine data recording at both health board and GP level.

The situation whereby incomplete records are maintained and vaccines are administered after the expiry date is far from acceptable and that is why I along with relevant agencies have taken the range of measures necessary to ensure a comprehensive examination of the administration of the childhood immunisation programme.