Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Michael D'Arcy for raising this important issue as it provides me with my first opportunity to update the House on this matter. I have only been in my new role a short number of days. I want to take time to talk to people, to listen to what they have to say, to reflect on what I find and then to focus on some achievable priorities. The core aim of the health service is to maximise the health of the population and to allow people to participate as fully as possible in the social and economic life of the community.
First, I acknowledge the impact narcolepsy has both physically and emotionally on the lives of those affected and on their families. Sufferers can experience excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden and temporary loss of muscle tone often triggered by emotions such as laughter, known as cataplexy, intense, vivid and sometimes terrifying hallucinations and sleep paralysis. Many teenagers and young adults also experience emotional distress due to their illness. Dealing day to day with this illness affects not just their lives, but also those of their family members.
Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way of protecting people against certain diseases. Immunisation against infectious disease has saved more lives than any other public health intervention, other than access to clean water. Before vaccines were available, deaths and serious illness caused by vaccine-preventable diseases such as smallpox, polio, TB, measles and influenza, were common. As many vaccine preventable diseases have become so infrequent, people have forgotten the serious nature of these illnesses.
In spite of the obvious benefits that come from vaccination, I must also acknowledge there can be serious adverse outcomes for some people arising out of vaccination. More than 1 million doses of pandemic influenza vaccine were administered during the 2009 ‘flu pandemic. Up to 16 July last, the Health Products Regulatory Authority, the statutory authority for licensing and safety of all medicines including vaccines licensed in Ireland, had received 64 reports which confirm a diagnosis of narcolepsy in people who had previously received pandemic influenza vaccination.
My priority as Minister for Health, and the priority of the HSE, is that the individuals and families affected receive appropriate health care and supports. As a result of work by my Department, the HSE and the Department of Education and Skills, a range of services and supports, regardless of age, are offered on an ex gratiabasis. These services and supports, co­ordinated by the HSE national advocacy unit, are intended to provide that individuals receive tailored assistance to address their specific requirements. It is acknowledged that treatment and individual medical needs may have to be reassessed over time to take account of changes in their condition or circumstances. Consequently, the services and supports provided are reassessed on an ongoing basis to take account of any changes in the individuals' conditions and circumstances.
As Senators may be aware, legal action has been initiated by 15 families alleging personal injury in which they are claiming the development of narcolepsy resulted from the administration of the pandemic vaccine. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further on these cases for legal reasons. I do acknowledge the impact on the lives of these people and families affected by narcolepsy and reiterate my commitment to the ongoing provision of appropriate services and supports.