Following a national review of immunisation programmes, a steering committee report has recommended changes in the way information on vaccination is communicated as well as a system of direct delivery of vaccines to doctors.
The National Review of Immunisation/Vaccination Prog-rammes, which was presented to the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, in Cork yesterday, was initiated in February last year. Its terms of reference were "to review all immunisation/vaccination programmes, policy, practice and procedures with a view to maximising uptake".
The review recommends the setting up of a national co-ordinating committee for immunisation/vac-cine programmes, whose first task should be to draw up a national implementation plan. It says there is a need to procure and implement a national information system and calls for the establishment of a system of "direct delivery of vaccines to end-users".
The review group was set up following a measles epidemic in the Dublin area in 2000. This led to 1,600 cases; many seriously-ill children were hospitalised, and three died. A drop in the take-up levels of all vaccines and increasing public and media discussion about vaccine safety also prompted the review.
Referring to the communication issues surrounding immunisation, the report notes that key faults regarding communication with parents were the insufficient promotion of vaccines and a lack of personal contact with parents and patients.
It recommends that one State agency be charged with responsibility for the production of information relating to immunisation. Future information would have to be clear, concise, user-friendly and sensitive to literacy, cultural and ethnic needs. It would also have to "address worries and claims made by concerned groups".
A further recommendation is the involvement of a consumer representative in the preparation of information materials for the public.
Addressing the issue of vaccine supply, the report recommends that vaccines be delivered directly to general practitioners, area medical officers and hospitals.
With regard to information technology systems, a survey carried out by the steering committee found that five separate systems were in use by the health boards in the State. "There is a wide range of problems with all the existing systems. Some of the problems are associated with deficiencies in the systems themselves, while others relate to how the systems are actually used," the report states.
The Western Health Board yesterday confirmed two more cases of measles, bringing to 23 the number of children affected by the outbreak in the north Galway area. Four large schools in the Tuam area are being targeted for emergency vaccination.
A spokesman for the board confirmed that hundreds of MMR vaccines had been administered in an attempt to contain the outbreak. Its free helpline - 1800 622 211 - received 76 calls yesterday. The line is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.