John Dennehy (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 246: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she has satisfied herself with the operation of the MMR vaccination scheme; her proposals to increase the take up of the vaccine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24867/06]

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 — 15 months of age. 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. Measles, in particular, is a highly infectious and serious disease; approximately 1 in 15 children who contract measles suffer serious complications.

In Ireland, uptake of the first dose of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine (MMR1) is calculated on a quarterly basis among children of 24 months of age. In Quarter 4 of 2005 the national uptake rate for this vaccine was 88%. This represents an increase of 5% in the national uptake rate when compared with the same quarter in 2004. The national uptake rates have risen from 77% at 24 months in Q1 of 2003 to 88% at 24 months in Q4 of 2005. Although MMR1 uptake rates have been improving over the past two years, they are still 7% lower than the national target rate of 95%.

I am concerned about the unsatisfactory MMR immunisation uptake rates because of the risk of unimmunised children contracting the potentially serious diseases concerned. The outbreak of measles in 2000, which resulted in approximately 2,000 cases and 3 deaths, is evidence of the consequences of insufficient immunisation uptake. However, I am encouraged by the fact that the immunisation uptake rates are steadily improving.

A Measles Eradication Committee has been convened by my Department to develop a national five year action plan for the elimination of measles and rubella in line with the World Health Organisation Strategic Plan for 2010. The work of this Committee is ongoing. I also understand that the HSE is currently formulating specific initiatives that will be employed to target areas of low uptake.

I would like to 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.