Vol. 521 No. 1
181 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will introduce a hepatitis B vaccination strategy to immunise those in high risk groups against the disease, as recommended in the immunisation guidelines committee report. [16442/00]
Despite evidence of undernotification, an examination of recent epidemiological data in Ireland indicates a low prevalence of hepatitis B, in line with other northern European countries. Immunisation is, therefore, recommended only for individuals who are at increased risk of hepatitis B because of their occupation, lifestyle or other factors, for example, close contact with a case or carrier. The immunisation advisory committee of the Royal College of Physicians will continue to review the policy on hepatitis B immunisation in the light of changing epidemiological data.
A recent national study into the prevalence of hepatitis B in the population indicated that Ireland has a very low endemicity for hepatitis B– approximately one in 200 of the population, which is much lower than that found in other low endemicity northern European countries. The authors of the study concluded that the current national hepatitis B immunisation policy, that is, selective immunisation of high risk individuals, is appropriate at present and recommend that it continue.
