Taoiseach 'concerned' anti-vaccine sentiment will affect immunisation levels

Taoiseach Micheál Martin travelled to Texas last week as part of his St Patrick's trip to the US where an ongoing measles outbreak has so far claimed the lives of two people, including an unvaccinated school child. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Ireland must be "very vigilant" about the rate of vaccine uptake amid concerns about an anti-vaccine sentiment taking hold in society, the Taoiseach has said.

Micheál Martin said he has "regular concerns" about a fall in the number of children being immunised.  

Mr Martin travelled to Texas last week as part of his St Patrick's trip to the US where an ongoing measles outbreak has so far claimed the lives of two people, including an unvaccinated school child.

Measles cases in the US this year have already surpassed the total number of cases in the country for all of last year, as vaccination rates plummet in the post-covid era. 

"I would have regular concerns about MMR vaccine," Mr Martin said. 

"When I was minister of health in the early 2000s there was a measles outbreak in Dublin, three children lost their lives, and there was a lot of negativity around the vaccine at the time, which was not well based.

"We have to be very vigilant."

Mr Martin said the Government and health officials need to be "open" about vaccines.

"If you look at the stats for 1922, and what killed people, and you look at all those issues, like diphtheria and measles — it was vaccines that changed the course of medical history and people's immunity," he said.

We must not lose sight of that. Vaccines work at a societal level, and vaccines do give immunity. We will be very vigilant on that front.

Even among healthcare workers, vaccine targets can be difficult to achieve here. 

Flu vaccination take-up among healthcare workers was just 30% for the winter, far below the 70% target.

Mr Martin warned that "a fad" can emerge "where people start jumping onto a particular thought process or thread in respect of specific vaccines", which he cautioned must be monitored.

However, the Taoiseach said he takes heart from what happened during the covid pandemic when the vast majority of the population complied with multiple vaccination programmes.

"There was no issue really in Ireland in terms of take-up. The take-up levels were extraordinary."

Mr Martin acknowledged that many people who were bereaved during covid are still traumatised five years on from the first outbreak in Ireland.

He said a covid inquiry is underway, adding: "I hope it can be expedited with a view to enable us to be better prepared into the future.

"How do we ensure continued international collaboration on the vaccine front and collaboration with industry? I think the European Union did a stellar job in respect of combining industry with research to enable us to get the vaccines brought to market and approved, and then get them manufactured at a pace and volume that enables societies to come back."

Separately, Mr Martin ruled out a run for the Áras in the presidential elections later this year, stressing that he is focused on leading the Government.