Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)

Has the Government abandoned its commitment to run a catch-up HPV vaccination programme just when we need it most? The programme for Government pledges to extend the Laura Brennan HPV catch-up vaccination programme to anyone under the age of 25 who missed the original vaccination. I have been in touch with both the Department of Health and the HSE to find out when the new programme will run. No one has been able to give me a straight answer. They tell me how important the HPV vaccine is. I agree. They tell me they are going to run a distinct programme for minority groups. That is brilliant. However, no one can tell me when the Laura Brennan programme will run again. I am worried that they have decided not to do it and more importantly, the Irish Cancer Society is concerned that this scheme is not going to run again. We have good HPV vaccination rates in the country but they have been dropping since 2019. It is estimated that about 16,000 kids do not get it each year now. That is why we need this programme. Is it going to run again?

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