48,000 vaccines given out in fight against meningitis
A Hib booster vaccine campaign will be launched by the HSE next month, and will encourage parents of children aged four and under to bring their children for the catch-up booster.
According to the HSE, the vaccines should be delivered to all doctors within the next three weeks. As part of the €10 million campaign, individual invitations will be sent by the HSE to parents requesting them to present their children for the booster.
The need for a booster campaign was highlighted last month when it emerged a two-year-old Co Louth boy died from meningitis despite being vaccinated against bacterium haemophilus influenzae, which is responsible for serious illnesses such as meningitis.
In August, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee had contacted the department to recommend that a booster campaign be launched due to a rise in the numbers of immunised children contracting meningitis.
The Hib vaccination is given to babies at two, four and six months old to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis) and meningitis, but the booster is needed to ensure protection until the child reaches age four.
Since 1996, approximately 450,000 children have been vaccinated against HiB disease and just 38 contracted the disease despite being vaccinated.
However, it is believed that these figures began to increase in recent years.
A spokesman for the HSE said: “Some GPs have received their boosters already and they should all be in place within the next three weeks. A second batch are due to arrive in December and a further batch in the New Year.”
The HSE believes the three batches will be enough to meet national requirements.
A spokesman for the Irish College of General Practitioners yesterday said they welcomed the arrival of the injections.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
