PARENTS IN Cork who want to have their children vaccinated against TB are being forced to take them to neighbouring counties to get the vaccine, a local Fine Gael TD said yesterday.
Deirdre Clune said she had met parents who brought their babies to Waterford and Kerry to receive the BCG vaccine.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed that here is a waiting list of several months for the vaccine in Cork.
The news comes more than a year after controversy arose over the failure by the HSE to routinely provide the BCG vaccine to newborns in Cork and Galway. The controversy arose following an outbreak of TB among creche-attending children in Cork. Some 18 children and two adults became infected.
Ms Clune has now called on the Minister for Health and the HSE to take immediate steps to resolve the ongoing denial of the vaccine to Cork babies.
“The BCG vaccine is administered to newborn babies to prevent TB and a commitment was given that all newborn babies in Cork would have access to the vaccine by October 2007.
“Despite this promise, almost a year later Cork’s newborn babies do not have access to the vaccine and 10,000 Cork babies are now on a waiting list for the TB vaccine,” she said.
The HSE South, in a statement, admitted a commitment was given that all newborn babies would be offered the vaccine from the autumn of 2007 in Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH). However, it said a difficulty with the supply of vaccine in Ireland and across Europe emerged in October 2007.
“The supply shortage was due to technical difficulties at the manufacturer’s laboratory and resulted in a European wide shortage of this vaccine,” it said.
“Whilst some vaccine was in stock, the shortage in supply meant that clinics were not held from November/December 2007. This issue has now been resolved and the supply of vaccine has again commenced in the Irish market.”
It confirmed that due to the increased demand for the vaccine and the interruption to supply for a number of months, the waiting list for the vaccine has increased. “Additional clinics continue to run to deal with the waiting list. Parents can contact their local health office to have their child’s name added to the waiting list.”
It also said that arrangements will be in place to offer newborns at CUMH the vaccine from this autumn.
Meanwhile the HSE West, which was due to begin offering the BCG vaccine to all newborns last year, said that due to the interruption to supply and the fact that so many children have to be vaccinated, it was prioritising the vaccination of at-risk children first. All other newborns will be routinely offered the vaccination thereafter.