Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to raise this issue along with Deputy O'Sullivan. I also met with parents of young girls affected by this issue, a number of whom are in my constituency. A meeting on the issue was also held in Killarney a couple of weeks ago, attended also by Deputies Brendan Griffin and Tom Fleming. There, parents outlined the side effects affecting these young women and the only common denominator is the HPV vaccine. They are extremely concerned about it and I have raised the matter in a number of parliamentary questions.

There are several issues. Information is provided with the vaccine, but when parents are asked to consent to the vaccine when these young girls enter second level, a very short information document is provided by the HSE. This document only mentions some of the side effects, compared with the number included on the document supplied with the vaccine by the manufacturers. I believe the issue for these parents and young women is genuine and serious and would not raise it here otherwise. I have heard their stories and have heard of the debilitating effects on these young women and of the emotional damage to these families.

I urge the Minister to consider an independent assessment of this matter as there seems to be only one common denominator. Also, the information being given to parents of young women about to get the vaccine should be fully informative. They should not be given a shortened account of the effects. The concern of these parents is that every one of these girls has a pattern of ailments, as outlined by Deputy O'Sullivan, and all seem to suffer from chronic fatigue.

They have gone around the world at this stage for advice from general practitioners and consultants.

In some countries, this vaccine is not given. Why have other countries not fully bought into this vaccine? They have some concerns about it. Surely then we should take the cautious approach; we should stop it and see if it is absolutely safe. To my mind - although I am far from knowledgeable on medical issues - there is a fundamental issue here. I believe the vaccine is having a deadly effect on young women, on their lives and the lives of their families.

See this speech in context