Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 100: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the progress made to date with regard to acquiring a stock of influenza vaccines to deal with any influenza pandemic; the number of such doses available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15311/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Vaccination is the principal measure for preventing influenza and reducing the impact of epidemics. It will be the primary public health intervention in the event of an influenza pandemic. However, the production of a vaccine tailored to a pandemic influenza strain could take six to nine months. Developments are under way at international level seeking to expedite this process.

Pending the availability of virus specific vaccines, antiviral drugs will be the only influenza specific medical intervention available for use in a pandemic. Following consideration of advice from the Influenza Pandemic Expert Group, I decided at the beginning of March that 1 million treatment packs of oseltamivir, Tamiflu, should be stockpiled. This quantity is sufficient to treat 25% of the population and is in line with international trends.

The Health Service Executive signed a contract with Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd. for the supply of Tamiflu on 8 April 2005. A total of 600,000 packs will be delivered by the end of this year. The remaining 400,000 packs will be delivered in 2006.