John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also compliment Deputy Kelly and the Labour Party on bringing forward this Private Members' Bill. I hope that they get the unanimous support of the Dáil. Unanimous support is not something that often happens here, so I wish them good luck.

When I was first elected, I met with several parents who had genuine concerns about the vaccine because of the chronic fatigue syndrome from which their daughters subsequently suffered. I listened to their case and I was very sympathetic to what they experienced. However, a presentation on the issue was given in the AV room several months later. What got the issue very clearly over the line in my mind was that in Australia and in Finland, studies were taken out on the frequency of chronic fatigue syndrome prior to the human papillomavirus, HPV, vaccine being administered. They were then able to compare data to the vaccinated population. As it turned out, the incidence was no higher or lower. It was exactly the same. As such, there is nothing to scientifically support a link between chronic fatigue syndrome and the vaccine. Moreover, the incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome in males, who do not get the vaccine, is at the same level. The evidence really does stack up.

It will save 90 lives per year, and that is something of which we have to be very cognisant. In 2010, when the then Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, refused to cover the cost of the vaccination programme, I remember calls for her resignation. It is amazing that an entire population can be outraged at the failure to provide funding for a vaccine, but five years or six years later the uptake has fallen from 90% to around 60%. We need to get the uptake to more than 90%. We need to get the male population vaccinated and develop what is commonly called "herd immunity" to get rid of this very serious and life-threatening cancer. Once again, I compliment the Labour Party for putting this forward. It has my full support, and I hope the full support of the rest of the House.

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