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. 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 BCG vaccine is given to protect babies against tuberculosis (TB). It is important to note that the number of cases of TB in Ireland is low. As of 2015, most European countries did not give the BCG vaccine routinely to all babies (Dierig et al, Vaccine, 2015).

In April 2015, due to a lack of vaccine from the sole EU supplier, the BCG vaccine became unavailable in Ireland. In 2015, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommended that the BCG vaccine does not need to be given to all children in Ireland.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) published a Health Technology Assessment of BCG vaccine in Ireland in December 2015. This also concluded that BCG vaccination does not need to be given to all children in Ireland.

In 2022, NIAC recommended the introduction of the BCG vaccine programme on a selective basis for those at highest risk. The Minister has accepted this recommendation and asked the HSE to provide a tuberculosis control plan to include the measures required to establish a BCG vaccination programme in line with the NIAC advice.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.