Bernard Allen
Ceist:271 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if the IMO is refusing to implement the meningococcal C vaccination until the flu vaccine campaign issues are resolved. [24999/99]
Written Answers. - Vaccination Programme.
Bernard Allen
Ceist:273 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the delivery of the Government's proposed meningococcal C vaccine; and if the disagreement regarding the administration of the flu vaccine has been resolved. [25001/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 271 and 273 together.
At my Department's request, the health board chief executive officers have established a group to plan the introduction into the primary childhood immunisation programme of the new conjugate vaccine to protect against group C meningococcal disease and for it to be given to older children and young people in a "catch-up" programme. I understand that this group has had a meeting with the Irish Medical Organisation at which possible approaches to delivery of the vaccine were discussed. The IMO has not indicated to my Department or to the health boards that it wishes to link the dispute regarding the influenza vaccine with doctors' participation in the delivery of the group C vaccine.
There remains disagreement between the Health Service Employers' Agency and the Irish Medical Organisation as to the arrangements which should apply to the provision of the influenza vaccine to general medical service patients. Nonetheless I welcome the statement by the IMO that, notwithstanding the dispute regarding administration of the influenza vaccine, it has advised its members to provide the vaccine to the at-risk groups in the GMS free of charge.