Compensation system for vaccine effects likely

The Government is looking at introducing a compensation scheme for children who experience adverse reactions to vaccinations.

The Department of Health told told The Irish Times last night it was examining various models for operating such a compensation scheme and that the Minister for Health, Ms Harney, had set the completion of this work as a priority for next year.

The move comes as the latest figures show that in the first 10 months of the year, there had been 49 serious adverse drug reactions recorded by children who had received the BCG vaccine, 22 serious adverse reactions reported in relation to the four-in-one vaccine and four to the hepatitis B vaccine.

The State watchdog for drug safety, the Irish Medicines Board, said yesterday that no fatalities had been reported. The majority of the 49 adverse reactions to the BCG vaccine related to "localised scarring" which was an expected side effect and which was dealt with routinely by doctors prescribing an antibiotic.

The Government's move to consider a compensation scheme for children follows a recommendation from an Oireachtas committee. In 2001, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children proposed the introduction of a no-fault compensation scheme "for the small number of children" who experienced serious reactions to vaccinations.

In April 2002, the then minister for health, Mr Martin, met the Irish Vaccine Injury Campaign and agreed that the Department of Health would examine the issues raised.

The Department of Health said a preliminary review of the operation of similar compensation schemes in other countries had been carried out.

"Further investigation is required to identify the most relevant models from a clinical, administrative and fairness point of view," a spokesman said. "The Minister will consider the issue once the report is completed.