I propose to take Questions Nos. 253, 270 and 272 together.
The primary childhood immunisation programme provides for the immunisation of children up to two years of age against a range of potentially serious infectious diseases. Under the programme parents may have their children immunised free of charge by the general practitioner of their choice. The schedule of immunisation is in accordance with the recommendations of the Immunisation Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland – RCPI. General practitioners are aware of the contraindications to the recommended childhood immunisations and parents should discuss any concerns they may have with their general practitioner before making a decision about their child's immunisation.
MMR vaccine is available under the primary childhood immunisation programme and there is no provision for children to receive separate measles, mumps or rubella vaccinations under this programme. There are sound public health reasons for not administering the MMR as separate vaccines. On the basis of currently available information there is no evidence that giving each of the component vaccines separately has any greater benefit than the combined vaccines. Splitting the MMR vaccine into separate components would involve extra injections for children and would cause both children and the people with whom they come in contact to be exposed to these potentially serious diseases for a much longer period of time and be at greater risk of contracting the diseases concerned. The international consensus is that MMR is a safe and effective vaccine and that the recently published medical evidence does not support a causal link between MMR vaccine and autism or inflammatory bowel disease – Crohn's disease. The institutions involved include the Medical Research Council Expert Committee UK, the British Committee on Safety of Medicines, the World Health Organisation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDCP – USA, the American Academy of Paediatrics, UK professional organisations, the RCGP, the Royal College of Paediatrics, the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, the BMA, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Most recently, the United States Institute of Medicine also concluded that there was no link between the vaccine and autism or inflammatory bowel disease – Crohn's disease. This consensus is based on large-scale epidemiological studies and more specific studies done in the laboratory setting.
