Vol. 497 No. 5
230 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Health and Children the situation in relation to access to information within his Department by persons considering legal proceedings in the context of long-term illness allegedly due to the three in one vaccine for children; the specific information, if any, available to these persons regarding the vaccine batch number from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25716/98]
My Department does not have on a routine basis information on the immunisation of individuals or the vaccine batch used in a particular case. These records are held by the local health board. In any case where such information is available in my Department, it can be provided, on request, to the person concerned or his-her legal representative.
Extensive international research has been conducted over many years regarding the possible link between the pertussis component of the DTP vaccine and chronic brain damage. The consensus in the medical literature is that it is not possible to establish a causal relationship between this vaccine and the development of permanent neurological damage.
