Councillors back B vaccine catch-up plan

 

The elected members of Cavan County Council have weighed in with their support back the roll-out of a catch-up programme to immunise older children against Meningitis B.

It follows a number of babies that have passed away in recent weeks as a result of contracting meningitis, and in total almost a dozen diagnoses recorded by the HSE in recent weeks.

During 2018 there were of four four patients from Co Cavan notified and confirmed as having Meningococcal Infection.

Two of these were group C Meningococcus, and the others were group Y and group W135, both of which are rare, the latter being the only form of bacterial meningitis to cause epidemics.

To date in 2019 no patients from Cavan have been notified as having Meningococcal infection.

The motion to reverse the decision not to offer the meningitis B vaccine to infants up to 12 months post October 2016 was tabled as an emergency item at the elected member's recent monthly meeting by Fianna Fail's Shane P O'Reilly.

Children born before this have not been immunised against the B strain, but have received the C vaccine.

Cllr O'Reilly said GPs are now becoming inundated with calls from parents seeking the vaccine which can cost anywhere from €150 to €450.

“There is lots of scaremongering out there,” said Cllr O'Reilly said of vaccinations, and he asked that the government “please consider” a roll-out of a catch-up programme to immunise older children against the illness. “If we don't ask for it we won't receive it.”

His motion was supported by fellow party member Philip Brady, who as a young father said it was “staggering”that his son born in 2017 missed out by mere months from getting the vaccination.

“There are a lot of parents out there scared,” Cllr Brady added.

While adopted unanimously, the motion was also received vocal support from Paddy O'Reilly and Peter McVitty (FG), as well as Fergal Curtin, Clifford Kelly, and Sean Smith (FF).

For more details, and the most up to date information available on bacterial meningitis/ septicaemia, visit https://www.hpsc.ie/news/title-18757-en.html.