Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the cost to the State of the H1N1 vaccination programme; the amount of vaccine that was surplus to requirements; the amount that was returned to the provider or sold on to other countries; if an inventory has been completed on stocks of the vaccine that are in the possession of general practitioners that will not be required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6968/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The HSE had contracts in place for the provision of pandemic vaccine with Baxter for 4.25million doses and GSK for 3.45 million doses. Baxter has supplied a total of 619,200 doses and the HSE terminated this contract in December 2009. GSK has supplied 2.35 million doses and the HSE is currently in discussion with GSK regarding possible options for dealing with the balance. No pandemic vaccine has been returned to the provider or sold on to another country. As the pandemic vaccination campaign is still ongoing and GPs have been asked to use any remaining stocks for vaccination of the general population, details of remaining and distributed stock will not be available until after the completion of the campaign. The possible need for a stockpile of vaccine to be available in the event of a further wave will also need to be addressed. The overall costs of the vaccination programme will not be available until the vaccination campaign is finished.