Action call on child vaccine

I WAS concerned to read (Irish Examiner March 28) that “babies in Cork face a three-month waiting list for BCG, a vaccine routinely administered to newborns in every other county.”

I would like to draw a comparison with children in the Republic who have been waiting for the introduction of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to the immunisation schedule while children in the North have been routinely vaccinated since last September. This vaccine is routinely administered to children in Britain, US, Canada, Australia, Mexico and 10 other EU countries.

Last week the WHO announced a new policy supporting national immunisation programmes worldwide against pneumococcal disease.

The Meningitis Trust has been calling on the National Immunisation Advisory Committee to name a date when the vaccine will be introduced here so we don’t continue to leave our children at risk of contracting this life-threatening disease. Invasive pneumococcal disease is one of the most common causes of bacterial infection in children. It is associated with meningitis, septicemia, otitis media, pneumonia and conjunctivitis.

That this disease can kill is in itself reason enough to introduce routine vaccination. But the after-effects of pneumococcal meningitis cannot be ignored either. Children can be left with acute behavioural problems, deafness, epilepsy or learning difficulties as a result of pneumococcal infection.

All of these complications require continuous medical intervention and support for affected families.

The Meningitis Trust will continue with its campaign for the introduction of this vaccine to the routine immunisation schedule. Members of the public wishing to support the campaign can log on to www.meningitiscampaign.ie and send an e-card to the minister for health and children.

Carole Nealon

General Manager

The Meningitis Trust

PO Box 102

Bray

Co Wicklow