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Vaccination Programme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022

Tuesday, 22 March 2022

Ceisteanna (1006, 1007)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

1006. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health when he expects HIQA to complete its health technology assessment of the HPV vaccine catch-up programme for secondary school students who were previously eligible but missed or turned down the vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14685/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

1007. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the scope of the HIQA health technology assessment of the HPV vaccine catch-up programme for students who were previously eligible but missed or turned down the vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14686/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1006 and 1007 together.

The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation. It makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department. The NIAC continues to revise recommendations to allow for the introduction of new vaccines in Ireland and to keep abreast of changes in the patterns of disease. Therefore, the immunisation schedule will continue to be amended over time.

In 2009, the NIAC recommended HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination for all 12 to 13 year old girls to reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer when they are adults. In September 2010, the HPV vaccination programme was introduced for all girls in first year of secondary school.

In June 2017, on foot of the NIAC’s recommendation that the HPV vaccine should also be given to boys, my Department asked the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to undertake a health technology assessment (HTA) to establish the clinical and cost-effectiveness of extending the immunisation programme to include boys in the first year of secondary school.

The HIQA completed the HTA in December 2018, recommending that the HPV immunisation programme be extended to include boys. A policy decision was made to extend the HPV immunisation programme to include boys, starting in September 2019, with the introduction of a 9-valent HPV vaccine.

The ages at which vaccines are recommended in the immunisation schedule are chosen by the NIAC in order to give each child the best possible protection against vaccine preventable diseases. As the HPV vaccine is preventative it is intended to be administered, if possible, before a person becomes sexually active, that is, before a person is first exposed to HPV infection.

Therefore, the gender-neutral HPV vaccination programme targets all girls and boys in first year of secondary school to provide maximum coverage. All vaccines administered through the School Immunisation Programme are provided free of charge.

My Department will continue to be guided by NIAC's recommendations on any emerging evidence on this issue in the future.

Anyone not in 1st year of secondary school or age equivalent in special schools or home schooled during the 2020/2021 school year who wishes to get the HPV vaccine, must go to their GP or sexual health clinic and pay privately for the vaccine and its administration. This applies to everyone whether or not they have a medical card/GP visit card, as it is outside of the HPV immunisation programme.

The programme for the academic year 2020/2021 was paused during the first few months of 2021 due to school closures and redeployment of staff to the COVID-19 immunisation programme. The inputting of uptake information for the schools-based programme was also delayed due to redeployment of administrative staff. The HSE has advised that the Schools Immunisation Programme 2020/2021 (of which the HPV programme is included) has been completed across the country. This means that all those who were eligible to receive the HPV vaccine have now been offered it.

The current recorded uptake rate for the first dose of the HPV vaccine, in the 2020/2021 academic year, is 76%. The current recorded uptake rate for the second dose of the HPV vaccine in this academic year is 65%. It should be noted that some areas are yet to input some, or all, of their data for both dose 1 and 2 so these figures are expected to increase.

My Department has asked the National Immunisation Advisory Committee to consider the clinical effectiveness of providing the HPV vaccine to:

- girls and boys in secondary school who were eligible to receive HPV vaccine in 1st year but who did not receive it; and

- women up to the age of 25 years who have left secondary school and who did not receive the vaccine when eligible.

If NIAC conclude that there is sufficient evidence to support providing the HPV vaccine to one or both groups, HIQA will undertake a cost-effectiveness assessment on that basis.

Question No. 1007 answered with Question No. 1006.
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