Paul Kehoe
Question:554 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of junior infants who have received the MMR vaccine; the breakdown per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15554/03]
Written Answers. - Vaccination Programme.
Operational responsibility for the administration of the school booster programme lies with the individual health boards, which have the appropriate regional and local management structures in place to manage the delivery of the immunisation programme.
The information requested by the Deputy has not been provided in full by all the health boards and the ERHA in the time available. This information will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is received.
Paul Kehoe
Question:555 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans being made to give the MMR booster vaccination to school entrants in view of the fact that public health doctors are on strike; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15555/03]
Operational responsibility for the administration of the school booster programme, which includes the MMR booster, lies with the individual health boards, which have appropriate regional and local management structures in place to manage the delivery of the immunisation programme.
The delivery of the MMR booster differs across health boards. Information received from two health boards indicates that the MMR booster vaccination is provided by general practitioners on behalf of the health board and, therefore, is not impacted by the public health doctors', PHD, dispute. A number of health boards have indicated that the majority of school entrants have received the MMR booster vaccination prior to the commencement of the PHDs' dispute, however, the present capacity of health boards to provide school entrants with the MMR vaccine is compromised due to the ongoing industrial action by the public health doctors. Every effort is being made to resolve this dispute.