Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 209: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the dangers attached to the use of the drug (details supplied). [28887/09]

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the dangers attached to the use of the drug (details supplied). [28888/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 210 together.

The highest priority is attached to ensuring the safety of all vaccines administered as part of the public immunisation programme in Ireland. International evidence as to the safety profile and side-effects of vaccines is considered by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) in formulating its advice and is kept under constant review.

The Irish Medicines Board (IMB), together with its EU counterparts is responsible for monitoring national and international emerging evidence about the safety of medicines, including vaccine safety. The Irish Medicines Board is also represented on the National Immunisation Advisory Committee.

There are two vaccines licensed in Ireland to prevent Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Cervarix was licensed in September 2006 and Gardasil was licensed in September 2007. The Department has been informed by the IMB of media reports in the US and EU that described some cases with fatalities following vaccination with the HPV vaccine. These cases have been reviewed by the European Medicines Agency and the authorities responsible in the jurisdictions in which they occurred and a relationship between the HPV vaccine and these reported fatalities could not be established.