Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2001

Vol. 531 No. 3

Written Answers. - Telephone Help Lines.

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

I assume the Deputy is referring to the recent issue involving medeva oral polio vaccine used in Ireland which contained human serum albumin produced from a plasma pool, where one of the donors has recently been diagnosed as having the variant form of Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease – vCJD. On receipt of the information relating to this vaccine from the IMB, I arranged to obtain expert advice from both national and international experts in the field who advised on a wide range of aspects relating to this issue. Their advice indicated that the potential risk, if any, to recipients is essentially non-existent.

In conjunction with the making public of information in this regard, each health board was asked to establish a telephone line which parents could call if they wished to obtain information or to discuss any concerns about their children arising from the announcement. This service also enabled reassurance about the level of risk involved to be given to parents. The telephone helplines were in operation from 19 December and there was a high volume of calls to these lines in the days immediately following the announce ment. The approximate number of calls received in each health board area is as follows:

Health Board	Number of Calls Received
Eastern Regional Health Authority	*
Midland	500 (up to 22 December)
Mid-Western	650 (up to 21 December)
North Eastern	560 (up to 5 January)
North Western	530 (up to 26 January)
South Eastern	1,600 (up to 22 December)
Southern	1,500 (up to 22 December)
Western	1,050 (up to 5 January)

*The Eastern Regional Health Authority has been unable to provide this information in the time available. I will forward the information to the Deputy as soon as it is received.

The helplines in most regions were discontinued in early January as the number of calls being received had declined to a very low level. The Southern Health Board line remains open, although very few calls are still being received. Persons who still wish to make inquiries can contact the Department of Health and Children or the local community care office of their health board. Information is also available on my Department's website.