Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to have a debate on health, specifically general health with regard to vaccines, and the flu vaccine in particular. It is regrettable to have a situation where there is mixed messaging emerging about the flu vaccine. We are told by the HSE and the Department of Health that there is an adequate amount of the vaccine, but the circumstantial evidence throughout the country is that there are difficulties. There are different stories emerging from different areas. There is different narratives depending to what general practitioner, GP, surgery one is dealing with or discussing. With regard to the nasal vaccine for children, in particular, mixed messaging and poor communication has resulted in a 20% to 30% uptake of this very effective vaccine.That is regrettable because the number of young people who get the flu each year, suffer as a result of it, spread it and so forth is too high, and it should not be that high. Given the low take-up of this very effective nasal vaccine, I suggest that the Department of Health and HSE consider increasing the age from 12 to 17 years. In other words, anybody under 17 could avail of the nasal flu vaccine free of charge. The last thing we want is for the stock to go out of date. It would be a shocking waste of money if we are in a situation when this winter season is over where hundreds of thousands of effective nasal flu vaccines are out of date. We need an urgent debate and urgent action. I call on the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, to increase the age of those eligible to receive the nasal vaccine from 12 to 17.