Parents should be immunised-expert

An expert on viruses told the High Court yesterday he agreed with a recommendation, made in 1982, that unvaccinated parents of new babies who received the oral polio vaccine (OPV) should be immunised at the same time as their children. This was to reduce the risk of contracting vaccine-associated polio.

Prof Jangu Banatvala endorsed the recommendation published in an article in the Irish Medical Journal in March 1982.

While vaccination had eliminated polio in the West cases may still occur, he said. If he saw polio, he would ask whether the person who had contracted it was ever vaccinated or if they had travelled to a country where the virus was present.

Prof Banatvala said he understood there was about an 84 per cent uptake of vaccination here.

He was giving evidence on the second day of an action by Mr Anthony Blanche (42), of Ballybrittas, Co Laois, against the Midland Health Board and Dr Fergus McKeagney and Dr Charles McKeagney, Portarlington.

Mr Blanche, who was never vaccinated against polio, claims he contracted polio following the inoculation of his daughter Isabel in 1994 with the OPV. He claims he should have been advised of the dangers to non-immunised persons of contact with inoculated infants and to be vaccinated himself. All three defendants deny negligence and have alleged contributory negligence. Prof Banatvala said yesterday it was his opinion Mr Blanche had contracted polio after Isabel received her first dose of the OPV in January 1994.

Earlier, cross-examining Mr Blanche, Mr Jack Fitzgerald SC, for both doctors, said the policy of successive governments has been to increase uptake of the polio vaccine with the aim of eradicating the disease. Mr Blanche agreed he was unlucky to be in the position he found himself. Mr Fitzgerald suggested the chances of a non-immunised person contracting polio from contact with the nappies of an inoculated child are very remote and ranged from a million to one to one in 17 million.

Mr Turlough O'Donnell SC, for Mr Blanche, said he would be disputing those figures.

Mr Blanche agreed Dr Charles McKeagney had examined him on March 12th, 1994, and referred him to Portlaoise Hospital. He agreed he had not told Dr McKeagney Isabel had received the polio vaccine days earlier. He agreed he had been seen by several doctors after March 12th and none diagnosed polio until later.

Mrs Ann Blanche, wife of Mr Blanche, said she was a qualified nurse and midwife who specialised in neo-natal intensive care which involved caring for premature babies and sick babies up to six weeks. Her oldest daughter Gillian and second daughter Isabel had received the polio vaccine from Dr Fergus McKeagney.

The case continues today.