Vol. 508 No. 2
66 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health and Children the action, if any, he is taking to increase the rate of MMR vaccination of children from the level of 75 per cent to the 95 per cent level required to prevent an epidemic of measles which is still a cause of death among children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18255/99]
90 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the statement by a person (details supplied) of the National Disease Surveillance Centre that a measles epidemic is almost inevitable within the next two years due to the insufficient rate of immunisation against measles; if he has satisfied himself with the system of immunisation; the consideration, if any, he has given to reverting to the earlier system of immunisation through public health nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17428/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 90 together.
The operation of the primary childhood immunisation programme is the responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. The current uptake of MMR – measles-mumps-rubella – vaccine nationally is approximately 77 per cent, while the target uptake is 95 per cent. This is a cause for concern and my Department has drawn the attention of the health boards to the potential for a measles epidemic. The need to achieve further improvements in immunisation uptake for this and other primary childhood vaccinations has also been stressed to the boards.
The structure of the primary childhood immunisation programme is based on the recommendations of the 1994 report of the review group on primary childhood immunisation, which stated that the general practitioner was ideally placed to administer the immunisation service and should be the principal health professional involved in its delivery. There are no plans to change the structure of the immunisation programme, which already includes a provision whereby health boards may make special arrangements where the uptake of immunisation among particular groups or in geographical areas is unacceptably low.
I would like to take this opportunity to address concerns which have been expressed in some quarters in relation to the MMR vaccine. My Department has reviewed the available evidence and is satisfied that this is a very safe and effective vaccine. There is no evidence to support any link between the MMR vaccine and the subsequent development either of chronic inflammatory bowel disease or of autism. Neither is there evidence that giving each of the component vaccines separately has any greater benefit than the combined vaccine. While the situation continues to be monitored, two recently published British studies have further confirmed that the MMR vaccine has not been linked to the development of the conditions mentioned. I would, therefore, urge all parents to ensure that their children receive the MMR vaccine, which may be given from the age of 15 months and which is available free of charge from their family doctor.
