Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State's reply was reassuring, although I am concerned that the vaccination rate stands at 92%. We will be in serious trouble if it falls much further.

Andrew Wakefield, a discredited doctor, is taking part in a roadshow that will soon visit this country. It is important that a message is sent to parents that the study carried out by this individual was completely discredited and he was struck off the register of medical practitioners in the United Kingdom. Mr. Wakefield is due to visit Ireland on tour with his anti-vaccine story. These anti-vaccine campaigners prey on vulnerable people and public concerns. Clearly, no one wants to give a child anything that is perceived as doing harm. It is important that public representatives and the Department of Health get the message across to parents that the individual in question, who bizarrely continues to use his title, has been discredited. I thought witch doctors and magic spells had gone out with the Dark Ages.

We must work hard to increase the MMR vaccination rate to 95% because if it falls much further from the current rate of 92%, the concept of herd immunity will be lost and we and the rest of Europe will have a problem with the spread of infectious diseases. As the Minister stated, the way to deal with the problem is to vaccinate children.

See this speech in context