Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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390. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to introducing a mandatory schools vaccinations programme. [51952/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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There are no plans to introduce a mandatory school vaccination programme as Ireland's vaccination programmes operate on a voluntary basis. Uptake rates for most childhood vaccinations currently approximate the 95% target level, at 94.6% for the 6-in-1 vaccine and 92.2% for the MMR.

Continued promotion of the benefits of vaccination and factual information on the vaccine itself and the genuine risks from the diseases they protect against are the key elements of immunisation information for parents. In this country we have seen a near complete removal of many of the infectious diseases which caused death and disability for older generations. However, sporadic outbreaks can occur, as seen recently in the case of measles, and the Department of Health urges parents to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated and to contact their GP or other health care professional if they have any vaccination concerns.