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

I thank the Minister of State. In the wider European context and given the movement of people, there have been 44 deaths owing to measles in EU countries since 2016. Disease does not know borders, so I would be anxious for the Department to examine countries where there have been increased rates of measles and consider how to control the burden of disease in the context of people from elsewhere coming to this country and vice versa.

Related to this is the issue of Brexit, our relationship with the NHS in the UK in terms of the potential border and our level of sharing of data on disease control, particularly as regards measles.

It is worth noting at this cold time of the year when older people and immunocompromised people tend to get sick that this is not just a baby or small child issue. Of those who got measles in 2016, only 58% were unvaccinated. Just because someone is vaccinated does not mean that he or she is safe, so this is everyone's problem. Anyone who is immunocompromised, old, sick or otherwise vulnerable is especially at risk. As I have stated at the Committee on Health, if there is a measles outbreak in this country, trolleys will be the least of our worries. We will have sick people with HIV and autoimmune diseases dying from a disease that had effectively been wiped out in this country. Trying to control the condition should be a priority for the Department.

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