THE BCG vaccine for newborn babies should be available across the country, according to an expert on tuberculosis.
Dr Terry O’Connor, president of the Irish Thoracic Society and respiratory physician at Mercy University Hospital, Cork, where he runs a TB clinic, said that while there was some controversy over the effectiveness of the BCG shot in protecting against TB, “there should be a universal national policy” in the provision of the vaccine.
Dr O’Connor said a 36-year gap in the vaccination programme in Cork had been due to an overall opinion that TB “was on the way out”, but added that he was aware from his clinics that this was not the case. “If we are going to give the vaccine we should be doing it in the same way in different parts of the country.”
However, he said vaccination did not ensure that a person would never contract TB and called for the establishment of a vigorous national programme to screen for and treat latent TB in high-risk groups.
His comments come after a spokeswoman for HSE West confirmed that a TB vaccination programme for babies in Galway has yet to be established. “We have not yet established a neo-natal vaccination for newborns in Galway; the practice to date has been the administration of the BCG vaccine to all fifth and sixth class students in primary school.”
The neonatal vaccination had not yet been established “due to medical staff shortages resulting from the public sector moratorium on recruitment”.
A vaccination programme for newborns recommenced in Cork University Maternity Hospital in 2008 after the service was withdrawn in 1972 over a funding issue. It was reintroduced after a major outbreak of TB at a Cork creche in 2007.
Since the recommencement of the neonatal programme more than 14,000 babies have been vaccinated, with an uptake rate of 95 per cent.
However, Cork-based Fine Gael TD Deirdre Clune said many children returning to primary school this year had been left exposed due to the gap in services. “Unlike other parts of the country, the provision of the BCG vaccination to babies born in Cork hospitals was suspended for a number of years only to be reintroduced in 2008 following another TB outbreak in Cork.” She said the outbreak in Cork two years ago coupled with this week’s outbreak in a primary school in Ballintemple were warning signs the Government could no longer afford to ignore.
An information line to assist with queries about the outbreak can be reached on 1800 742800 from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.