Harris piles pressure on politicians to publicly back vaccines
Health Minister Simon Harris has witten to politicians, ordering them to publicly support childhood vaccinations to combat anti-vax “scaremongering” and “populist nonsense”.
Mr Harris will also put pressure on TDs to promote vaccination, tabling a cross-party motion in support of childhood immunisation programmes and the HPV vaccine for girls and boys.
Cases of measles have spiked by 200% in the last year and the HSE was forced to launch an awareness campaign after significant drop-off rates in young girls getting the HPV vaccine.
In a letter sent to all TDs and senators, Mr Harris blamed “misinformation and disinformation” for the worrying drop-off in children being immunised.
“Although vaccines for the prevention of 15 diseases are currently included in Ireland’s population-based vaccination programme, Ireland continues to experience cases and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Vaccine hesitancy and the increased public profile of misinformation/disinformation campaigns continue to be significant public health concerns and challenges for Ireland, our EU partners, and indeed globally,” he wrote.
Mr Harris has already confirmed that he is looking to make vaccinations mandatory and has sought legal advice from Attorney General Séamus Woulfe.
Mr Harris told politicians: “At my request, my officials have now initiated a review of the available evidence, both legislative and scientific, with a view towards identifying the most appropriate policy intervention or interventions which might be applied in Ireland and, subject to their findings, I look forward to engaging with members of the Oireachtas further over the coming months.
“Notwithstanding this work, I am concerned at the negative impact upon the overall efficacy of vaccination programmes and public health generally.”
Mr Harris is to set up an alliance of healthcare professionals and policy-makers to promote vaccination, particularly the childhood immunisation programme and the HPV vaccine. However, he said politicians have “a responsibility to show leadership” on this issue.
“I think it would be a very powerful message for the Houses of the Oireachtas to pass a cross-party motion in support of our childhood immunisation programmes and the HPV vaccine for both girls and boys. I will revert on this shortly.”
The minister encouraged TDs and senators to share information on vaccinations from the National Immunisation Office on social media platforms. “Vaccination saves lives and I know, working together, we can continue to increase vaccination rates, prevent disease and save lives,” he wrote.
However, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin accused Mr Harris of “creating distractions” with his letter.
“There [are] huge issues across health, but I am surprised he doesn’t already have the AG’s advice. We are kind of tired of announcements saying I am going looking for advice.
"In the same announcement, the same minister said he hadn’t consulted with his own ministers, he hadn’t consulted with the Taoiseach, that it was a personal position, and yet now we are led to believe he’s going to write to the Attorney General, and one would have thought that he would have had those advices a long time ago, in terms of whether it is possible to have mandatory childhood vaccination.
There are constitutional issues in terms of bodily integrity, the right to privacy, but more fundamentally, in terms of schooling and education, there’s a constitutional right to a primary education.
Mr Martin said rather than “creating the issue in a kind of vacuum” he would have preferred if Mr Harris “had come to the debate with an authoritative opinion from the Attorney General as to what is possible”. He said he would be encouraging his party colleagues to support the programme.
Separately a small group of protesters yesterday targeted the family home of Mr Harris for a second time this year. The Fingal Battalion also posted a video message online demanding for Mr Harris’ resignation.
