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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 5 Feb 1998

Vol. 486 No. 5

Written Answers. - Immunisation Programme.

Deirdre Clune

Ceist:

69 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Health and Children the percentage uptake there has been in the child vaccination scheme since the new scheme was introduced; if his attention has been drawn to the low uptake in any particular area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2958/98]

The operation of the National Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme is a matter in the first instance for the individual health boards, who enter into contracts with general practitioners for the delivery of the service. The aim of the programme is to achieve an uptake level of 95 per cent and so eradicate the diseases in question. My Department is in regular contact with the health boards to discuss the operation of the programme and a meeting in this regard is scheduled to take place later this month. The most recent figures received from seven of the eight health boards indicate that the uptake levels for completed three-in-one immunisations among children aged 18 months ranges from 72 per cent to 88 per cent. In the remaining board the reported uptake at 12 months is 42 per cent. I am advised that the actual uptake is significantly better, as the board has a large backlog of claims from general practitioners to be processed. Additional staff resources have been put in place to address this problem.

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