Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1003. To ask the Minister for Health the details of the efforts undertaken to date to raise awareness concerning the dangers of meningitis with particular reference to ongoing or planned vaccination programmes and the plans to address any deficiencies in this area in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14101/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The NIAC is a committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland comprising of experts in a number of specialties including infectious diseases, paediatrics and public health. The committee's recommendations are informed by public health advice, international best practice, and a cost effective analysis conducted by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. All vaccines administered through the Primary Childhood Immunisation Schedule (PCIS) are provided free of charge.

There are three vaccines in the PCIS protecting children against meningitis.

- Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib) was a major cause of meningitis in infants but has now been almost entirely eliminated following the introduction of the Hib vaccine as part of the Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme in 1992.

- Meningococcal C (MenC) vaccine was introduced in October 2000 as part of the routine childhood immunisation and is currently given at 4 and 6 months and a combined Hib/MenC booster at 13 months. Immunity to reduces over time so a booster vaccine for MenC was introduced into the Health Service Executive (HSE) schools immunisation programme in September, 2014 for 12-13 years olds.

- Children born on or after 1 October, 2016 are now receiving the Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccine at 2, 4 and 12 months of age. Ireland is the second country in Europe to make this vaccine available free of charge as part of its national immunisation programme.

The HSE are working hard to maximise uptake rates for all vaccines in the PCIS. Uptake rates for Hib are 95% and uptake rates for MenC have increased from 80% in 2010 to close to 90% (89% Q3 2016).

Immunisation policy is based on providing a safe, sustainable and cost-effective programme of immunisation. The introduction of any new meningitis vaccine into the primary childhood immunisation schedule will be considered in the context of recommendations from NIAC, the outcome of cost-effective analysis, and resource availability.