Sir, - Medical research involving children is an important means of promoting child health and well-being. Such research must have an identifiable prospect of being of benefit to children and not simply duplicate previous work. It must not be undertaken for financial or professional advantage and must be properly reported. If a report on the 1973 Trivax vaccine trial carried out on 116 children in the care of the Eastern Health Board was published and now republished it would be helpful.
While children of sufficient understanding should always have their consent sought before becoming involved in research, in younger children the consent of parents or guardians should be sought. If we could be told what efforts were made to get such consent it would be useful, too.
The Declaration of Helsinki insists that in undertaking research concern for the interests of the individual subject (in this case an infant) must always prevail over those of science and society. Those involved in medical research in Ireland have an ethical reputation to maintain with the public and would be glad to know that this was paramount in the vaccine trial.
Early elucidation of this matter by the Minister for Health and Children is essential before our already poor immunisation levels fall even further. Vaccines do save lives and prevent disabilities. It would be a pity if what may have been a properly carried out trial had exactly the opposite effect to the intended one - that of finding a vaccine with reduced side-effects which would be more readily acceptable. - Yours, etc., Senator MARY HENRY MD, Seanad Eireann, Dublin 2.