Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

That is great. As the Minister of State outlined, for many people, and children in particular, the disease is a mild one but it can have severe complications for some. I have heard of the phenomenon of chickenpox parties for kids over recent years. The disease was almost considered a rite of passage that should be got out of the way. This was never something I thought appropriate. If you read about the complications that can arise and how severe the disease can be, you will see that we need a vaccination programme. Children are getting vaccinated now but the cost is high. I hope that the Minister of State will take this back to the Minister who might, in the context of this budget, look at putting some funding towards exploring this matter or introducing this vaccine into the programme.

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