Vol. 545 No. 5
89 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children the total number of smallpox vaccines acquired to date; the preparations which are being made for the storage and distribution of the vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30903/01]
Following the events of 11 September in the USA I established an expert committee, under the chairmanship of Professor William Hall, director of the Virus Reference Laboratory, to develop a contingency plan which would be activated in the unlikely event of a biological attack here.
The expert committee, having considered the information and risk data available to it, recommended the purchase of specific antibiotics and vaccines which would be required in the event of a biological attack. In relation to smallpox, I approved the purchase of 600,000 doses of smallpox vaccine based on the recommendations of the committee.
Arrangements for the storage and distribution of this vaccine are based on the recommendations of both the expert committee and the emergency planning task force chaired by my colleague, the Minister for Defence, Deputy Michael Smith.
