Minister claims Finian McGrath 'supports' HPV vaccine programme despite super junior urging jab ban
The super junior Minister for Health Finian McGrath has admitted he did raise concerns about the HPV vaccine weeks before entering government.
Mr McGrath was reacting to a story in today's Sunday Times in which he stands over his actions in raising those concerns, but could not cite the scientific study behind them.
McGrath, a member of the Independent Alliance, had called for Gardasil to be banned just before his Cabinet appointment last year and told the paper he was not "rowing back" on his opposition to the vaccine.
He added that worried parents with "legitimate questions" were behind the continued opposition to the vaccination programme.
However, Health Minister Simon Harris has spoken to Minister McGrath on the issue today.
In a statement the Minister for Health said that Mr McGrath had assured him that "he supports the new campaign to encourage parents to avail of the HPV vaccine".
Mr Harris' statement said: "It (the vaccine) saves lives and he welcomes the fact the whole purpose of the new campaign is to help inform parents and direct them to medical professionals to have any questions answered and facts provided."
The Government has this week been actively encouraging parents to ensure their girls get the cervical cancer vaccine after rates fell to a low of 50% last year.
The statement continued: "Ministers Harris and McGrath agree that the people qualified to give advice on vaccines are medical professionals and they would encourage parents to take advice from them."
Minister Harris said: "The HPV vaccine saves lives and my appeal to parents is simple - get the facts and information from medical experts. Talk to your doctor. Check out HPV.ie."
Doctor Mairead Byrne says girls should not delay in getting the vaccine.
She said: "This is a vaccine that they need to get in the first year of secondary school. It's too late to get it later on, you need to get it when it's most effective, so really you have to have the facts right.
"We need to save lives, if it's your daughter, if it's your sister and they are dying from cervical cancer, which 130 people a year are doing, can you justify not giving that vaccine?"
