Greens’ policy on child vaccines is lethal nonsense

IN its recently-announced health policy, the Green Party is apparently of the view that healthcare for young children should be a top priority for government.

I agree entirely with this assessment.

One of the most important aspects of infant care worldwide is vaccination.

This wonderful breakthrough of medical science has literally saved hundreds of millions of lives over the past century. Mass vaccination programmes rid humanity of smallpox and practically eliminated polio from the developed world.

In spite of this, infectious diseases continue to claim millions of lives annually.

These deaths are not confined to developing countries.

During the last measles outbreak in Ireland, for example, three children died tragically as a result of this preventable infection.

This is in spite of the availability of a safe and effective vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.

In the past, inaccurate commentary and research calling into question the safety of the MMR vaccine was published. This ‘research’ has been thoroughly discredited and its author has publicly recanted.

The safety of the vaccine has been proven beyond doubt while the potentially horrific consequences of these illnesses have been known to medical science for centuries.

In spite of this, vaccination rates in Ireland remain depressingly low — a fact that potentially places the lives of some children in danger.

To my horror and disgust, I have learned that the Green party has reservations about the vaccination of our children.

On their website www.greenparty.ie, it is clearly stated that “there are significant question marks about the effectiveness of mass immunisation programmes”.

The party promises to launch a “major review” of the vaccination of children if elected to government.

This policy was also supported by Green party representative Patricia McKenna who openly expressed her hostility to vaccination on RTÉ television last December.

It is also interesting to note from their website that the Greens are very supportive of so-called alternative medicine.

They are apparently of the view that there should be public funding for such pseudo-science as homeopathy. I find it incredible that a prominent Irish political party can express support for unscientific quackery while simultaneously undermining a vaccination policy that saves the lives of countless numbers of our children.

Mass vaccination of children is supported by the WHO, the UN and the governments of virtually every nation on the planet. Does the Irish Green party know something that all of these people do not?

Speaking as a medical professional, I am terrified to think that the people responsible for such dangerous and potentially lethal nonsense may soon be part of our government.

Dr Ruairi Hanley

Siena

Francis Street

Drogheda

Co Louth.