Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Feb 1998

Vol. 486 No. 6

Written Answers. - Vaccine Damaged Children.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

207 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health and Children the position in relation to any submission his Department received from parents of vaccine damaged children; the findings, if any, regarding the submission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3295/98]

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

208 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department received a submission from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 on behalf of her child who is completely deaf since receiving the three-in-one vaccine; if her complaint has been investigated; and, if so, the outcome of the investigation. [3296/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 208 together.

My Department receives correspondence from time to time from parents of children whom it is alleged have suffered damage as a result of having been vaccinated. Such correspondence is dealt with, as appropriate, on a case by case basis.

In the case of the person referred to by the Deputy, my Department has no record of correspondence in recent years. However, the case of the child in question was examined by the Expert Group on Whooping Cough Vaccination established in 1977 to consider cases where it was alleged that children had suffered vaccine damage. The expert group found that this child's disability was not caused by whooping cough vaccine.