Expert denies slow State response to booster campaign

THE medical expert leading a booster vaccine campaign to protect children from bacterial meningitis and other diseases has rejected claims the State is dragging its heels in offering the vaccination.

Dr Kevin Kelleher of the Health Service Executive (HSE) said the authority began planning the campaign as soon as it received the National Immunisation Advisory Committee’s (NIAC) recommendation early in August.

The NIAC had informed the Department of Health in July that the booster was necessary after noting a number of children had developed meningitis and other conditions, despite receiving the vaccine against haemophilius influenzae type B (HiB) infection.

On Tuesday, consultant paediatrician and NIAC member Dr Kevin Connolly said he was disappointed the committee’s recommendation had not been implemented sooner as the risk of infection was greatest during the winter.

Yesterday, Dr Kelleher said: “It [the booster campaign] will happen as soon as is practicable. We said November. If it can happen sooner than that, it will happen sooner than that.”

The programme is expected to take six months to complete at the most, but Dr Kelleher was hopeful it could be finished within three or four months.

Dr Kelleher, the HSE’s director of population health, said the National Centre for Health Protection Surveillance (NCHPS) had noticed over the last 12-15 months that the number of vaccinated children with haemophilius influenzae under the age of four had increased from a handful to 15 a year.

He pointed out that up to 200,000 children aged between six months and four years needed to be vaccinated against HiB.

What was being implemented was a catch-up programme for children under the age of four.

Because it was a public health issue, Dr Kelleher did not expect GPs to allow their difficulties with the department over the new doctor visit only medical card to interfere with the campaign.