Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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111. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide more detail on his Budget 2023 commitment of €12.3 million to facilitate catch-up programmes for human papillomavirus vaccine to girls and boys at school and to women aged up to the age of 25 years in 2023; the estimated number of additional girls and boys in school and women up to age 25 years it is anticipated that this allocation will allow vaccinations to be provided for; if he will provide a breakdown on the way in which it is intended that this budget be used; if this budget is ringfenced for HPV or if it will be available for other vaccines; the start date for the funding allocation; the time period for which it will be dispersed; the locations in which the scheme can be accessed; the further programmes, if any, that he is considering to support vaccination in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51570/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation. It makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department. The NIAC continues to revise recommendations to allow for the introduction of new vaccines in Ireland and to keep abreast of changes in the patterns of disease. Therefore, the immunisation schedule will continue to be amended over time.

The Laura Brennan HPV Vaccination Catch-up Programme will offer free HPV vaccines to boys and girls in second level education who were previously eligible to receive the HPV vaccine and who have not yet, for whatever reason, received it.  Young women, up to the age of 25, who have now left secondary school, and who did not receive the vaccine, will also be eligible to receive the vaccine as part of the programme.

It is estimated that approximately 100,000 young people are eligible for the HPV catch up vaccination programme. These are the numbers who were previously eligible who did not receive any doses of HPV vaccine previously.

The allocated budget for this programme will cover all aspects of this nationwide campaign, including promotion, vaccine costs, administration costs and costs associated with information recording and reporting.

The HSE is currently working on the implementation plan for the Laura Brennan HPV Vaccination Catch-up programme, which is planned to launch in mid-November. Further details on the campaign and how eligible people can register their interest will be made available in due course.