Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 94: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of cases of mumps reported to date in 2005; the way in which this compares with the same period in 2004; if she is satisfied that appropriate procedures are in place to prevent the spread of this condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9424/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella and, in accordance with the recommendations of the immunisation advisory committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, can be administered to children between 12 to 15 months. A vaccine uptake rate of 95% is required in order to protect children from the diseases concerned and to stop the spread of the diseases in the community.

Mumps data provided by the health protection surveillance centre of the Health Service Executive, formerly the national disease surveillance centre, indicate that 190 mumps cases were reported for weeks one to ten of 2005, that is, up until 12 March 2005. Six cases were reported for the same period in 2004. There has been increased mumps activity throughout the country since October 2004.

A national outbreak control team, OCT, was convened at the beginning of the outbreak on 3 November 2004. Members of the OCT include representatives from the health protection surveillance centre, HPSC, Health Service Executive areas, department of public health, and the programme for action for children, PAC, and my Department. The strategies agreed by the OCT to ensure the protection of all children and young persons up to the age of 23 years against mumps are as follows: to raise awareness and improve case reporting, by laboratories and clinicians; to improve information available on reported mumps cases through enhanced reporting, laboratory confirmation, hospitalisation data, complications, vaccinations status, contact with a case; to provide bi-weekly detailed reports on the extent of the outbreak, number of cases reported, risk factors for infection, vaccination status, and laboratory confirmation of disease. This information is disseminated to all HSE areas, members of OCT and my Department. To encourage vaccination against mumps among all children as part of routine immunisation programme — two doses of MMR are recommended for all children at ages 12 to 15 months and at four to five years. In areas where mumps cases are identified contract tracing is undertaken by local HSE area staff. Identified contacts of mumps cases, who are considered likely to be at risk of infection, due to age of non-vaccination, are recommended MMR vaccine. Dependent on HSE area, when mumps cases are linked to educational settings local strategies for vaccination of at risk students are identified, either through vaccination teams, GPs or student health services. Students in schools, or colleges where outbreaks are occurring are informed about the risk of mumps if they are non-immunised or incompletely immunised and are recommended MMR vaccine. HSE area staff work with the involved institutions to provide information and advice to the student population; and additional MMR has been provided to services requiring it for vaccination programmes.

I take this opportunity to urge all parents to have their children immunised against the diseases covered by the childhood immunisation programme in order to ensure that both their children and the population generally have maximum protection against the diseases concerned.