Roma children ‘missing out’ on vaccinations due to fears children could be taken into care — report

Roma parents may be more reluctant to have their children vaccinated as a result of the two cases last year in which Roma children were mistakenly removed from their families, according to a report.

Pavee Point, the Travellers’ rights group, yesterday published three reports into the Roma community in Ireland and its access to and use of social and healthcare services.

One of the reports, entitled ‘Challenging barriers and misconceptions — Roma maternal health in Ireland’, outlines how a parent’s fear of having their children taken into care can lessen the likelihood of children receiving vaccines.