Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, to the House and take this opportunity to wish him the best of luck in his new portfolio.

Michael D'Arcy (Fine Gael)
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I also wish the Minister the best of luck in his new portfolio, as he has a substantial job to do in that Department.

I wish the raise the issue of those people, particularly children, who have been affected by narcolepsy following the State ‘flu vaccination. A link has been associated with the Pandemrix swine ‘flu vaccination and the condition. I am disappointed with the speed in which the matter is being progressed. Will the Minister update the House on this matter?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Michael D'Arcy (Fine Gael)
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 Approximately 1 million vaccinations were administered and an enormous supply of vaccines was made available to the State from the companies in question.  The Government gave a blanket guarantee on the basis that the vaccine was administered off-licence, even though it was administered off-licence at a time when concerns were growing in the Scandinavian countries in regard to the risk of narcolepsy and vaccination.  A number of questions need to be addressed, the most crucial of which is why so much vaccine was used.  No other country went down the route of blanket vaccinations.  How much vaccine was purchased and at what cost?  How much was left over afterwards or destroyed at a cost to the State?

I am glad the Minister spoke about the effects on the people who have been impacted.  The daughter of one my constituents was impacted by the vaccine. She described the condition like trying not to sleep for 72 hours and then being expected to go about her day's work. I know the daughter and she is a fine young person. There is a grievance for the people involved. I say this in a positive manner so that the Minister might take the opportunity to do something about the issue. Information has not filtered down to GPs about what is supposed to happen to the estimated 64 people who were badly affected. Long-term supports are lacking and, while discretionary medical cards have been provided to those affected, this is at the discretion of the HSE. There appears to be little or no co-ordination or response form the HSE, the Department of Health or the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Early intervention is critical for those who are still at school or studying but the Department of Education and Skills has not provided any special supports. The response of the Department of Social Protection has been particularly poor and inconsistent. The families concerned report that there has been little or no communication between the relevant Departments and those who are affected.

I am hopeful that we can move to a place whereby people are satisfied with the response, in comparison to the current position whereby there is nothing but dissatisfaction. It is 13 times more likely that somebody vaccinated with Pandemrix will be affected by narcolepsy. I do not want the State to be liable for funds but if the State is wrong, it is wrong. I would like to see faster and greater movement on the issue. The reason for the court case is because of a lack of movement. It disappoints me that the Government has acted poorly on this occasion.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Unfortunately, I cannot answer the Senator's question on the cost of the vaccines and what was used. I will revert to him if that information is available. As legal cases are outstanding, I am limited in what I can say. I acknowledge his point that the effects are wider than health. They include individuals' education and future employment needs. I can supply a more detailed briefing to provide information that may be helpful to people in terms of the contact person for each region and what is available from the education system, in particular, to support those who are affected.