Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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187. To ask the Minister for Health when he and his office was first informed by the Health Service Executive that its anti-flu vaccine is for a different strain of illness than the one which is currently circulating; if this development was discussed at the most recent meeting of the ED task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3030/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The influenza vaccine constitution for the 2014-15 for all countries in the Northern Hemisphere was advised by the World Health Organisation in February 2014 and the HSE tendered for and acquired vaccines to contain these three viruses:

- an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;

- an A/Texas/50/2012 (H3N2)-like virus;

- a B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like virus.

In mid to late December, data emerged from North America that the influenza virus in circulation was a mismatch for this year's seasonal influenza vaccine. On the 14th January, the Centre for Disease Control in the US confirmed this mismatch to other countries. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE circulated this information to medical professionals and relevant authorities, including my Department, the following day. The potential impact of seasonal influenza was discussed at the most recent Emergency Department Taskforce meeting.