Lifesaving meningitis vaccine roll-out delayed until next year

IRISH children will have to wait until next year before they are entitled to a lifesaving vaccine manufactured in the State.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) said yesterday it hoped to introduce the pneumococcal meningitis vaccine early next year.

The introduction of the vaccine, that offers protection against the more common strains of the disease, could save around 130 lives yearly.

Last April, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) decided there was enough evidence to recommend the introduction of the vaccine.

Fine Gael’s health spokesman Brian Hayes said it was outrageous the pneumococcal meningitis vaccine had not been introduced.

He pointed out there was a ready supply of the vaccine, with the world provider based in Dublin. He said in other EU states children were routinely vaccinated against the disease and accused the HSE of being “extraordinarily negligent” in not introducing the vaccine sooner.

The HSE stated yesterday it had identified the introduction of the vaccine “as a priority” and hoped to be in a position to introduce it early next year.

Pneumococcal disease can cause serious illnesses including meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia. It is also responsible for less serious illnesses such as middle-ear infection and bacterial sinusitis.

A new immunisation schedule for pneumococcal meningitis would see babies vaccinated at the age of two months, four months and 12 months.

Since the meningococcal C (MenC) vaccine was introduced in 2000 there has been a dramatic decrease in the incidence of the disease.

Medical information officer with the Meningitis Research Foundation, Clodagh Brennock said it had been hoped the vaccine would be introduced this autumn.

She pointed out pneumococcal bacteria are responsible for one in 12 meningitis cases in Ireland, with children aged two years particularly at risk.

Ms Brennock said that while the foundation was disappointed that it had taken so long for the vaccine to be introduced as part of national immunisation, they looked forward to being included next year.

Meningitis Trust’s community service nurse, Lisa Slattery, said anyone contracting pneumococcal meningitis was twice as likely to suffer severe after-effects than with any other type of meningitis.

Provisional figures for the first quarter this year from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) show 10 cases of the disease were reported, but no deaths. Two deaths reported to the HPSC earlier this year related to type B Meningitis for which there is no vaccine.

It is also thought a baby boy from Co Monaghan, who died earlier this week from meningitis, may have been suffering from the same disease strain.

l Further information is available from the Meningitis Research Foundation at 1800 413344 or Meningitis Trust at 1800 523 196.