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Minister for Health Simon Harris at the launch of the HSE’s HPV Vaccine Information Campaign 2018/19 Stephen McDermott

Parents urged to ask medical professionals about HPV vaccine instead of relying on 'misinformation'

The HSE launched a vaccine information campaign today, confirming two in three women are now being inoculated against the HPV virus.

THE MINISTER FOR Health has urged those with concerns about the HPV vaccine to consult a healthcare professional as he criticised those who questioned its effectiveness.

Speaking at the launch of a campaign to encourage girls and young women to inoculate themselves against the HPV virus, Simon Harris said the vaccine had been proven to save lives.

The HSE confirmed today that the latest provisional uptake rate for the vaccine now stands at 65%, an increase of 15% in the last year.

However, Ireland continues to have one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in western Europe, with 58% of women diagnosed with the disease under the age of 50.

The increase in those receiving the vaccine followed a decline in recent years, with an uptake rate of just 51% during the 2016/17 academic year.

“Prevention is better than cure, and this is especially true of cervical cancer,” the Minister said at the launch of the latest phase of the HSE Vaccine Information Campaign.

“We are lucky to have a vaccine that can potentially prevent 70% of cervical cancers, and I am very pleased to say that our increased provisional uptake figures last year have been internationally recognised.”

‘Extraordinarily irresponsible’

Vaccination teams are set to visit secondary schools around the country to administer the vaccine to first year girls, and Harris revealed that his Department is also aiming to roll out the scheme to boys – who also suffer from the virus – from next year.

“Extending the national immunisation schedule to include HPV vaccination of boys is a priority for me, and subject to a favourable recommendation from HIQA,” the Minister said.

Harris also took aim at politicians who cast doubt on the vaccine’s benefits, saying those in public life owed it to cervical cancer victims to communicate the necessity of being inoculated against HPV.

“For anyone in public life to in any way cast doubt on a vaccine authorised by the World Health Organisation and the European Medicines Agency that has saved so many lives is an extraordinarily irresponsible thing to do,” he said.

His comments follow the emergence of a 2016 interview with Sinn Féin presidential candidate Liadh Ní Riada, who said she had decided one of her daughters should not receive the vaccine, despite her older daughter having already received it.

During the interview, she said that she had heard of “a number of people that were affected by side effects” of the vaccine and that there were thousands who’d received the vaccine who hadn’t.

However, Ní Riada also said she was not advocating against people inoculating their child, and later clarified that she was not opposed to vaccines.

The HSE has also stressed that there is no scientific evidence of an increase in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or any other long-term medical conditions in those who have been vaccinated.

Facts

Harris said that Ní Riada had clarified her views on the matter and said he didn’t want to politicise the issue.

“I hope and expect everybody in public life to help get out the facts about this,” he added.

“I want to talk directly to the parents of Ireland and I want to say to them, if you want to get information on this vaccine, factual medical information, get it from your doctor.” 

The Minister also singled out 25 year-old cervical cancer patient Laura Brennan for her advocacy in encouraging young women to get the HPV vaccine.

In a powerful speech at today’s launch, Brennan – whose cancer is terminal – said the vaccine could have saved her life.

“I’m facing my death and the reason is a virus that your child doesn’t have to get,” she said.

“I’ll be gone in a few years. Once I’m gone there is nothing more I can do about it so I hope you all listen to me while you have the chance.”

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    Mute Mark
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    Mar 13th 2020, 5:38 PM

    Are playdates ok ? NO!

    286
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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Mar 13th 2020, 6:47 PM

    @Mark: Playdates were never ok. Heard a top child and family psychologist on the radio a few weeks ago speaking about how they’re needless and normally only an excuse for parents to get together to gossip about other parents! Children get plenty social interaction at creche, preschool, school or even at home with their families!!

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    Mute Angel Drake
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    Mar 13th 2020, 7:39 PM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: how old are your children?? Because if u had children in junior infants and third class ud know they always ask for play dates, top psychologist? Please name? Because play dates I feel builds there self esteem and gives them cultural or social differental experiences.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Mar 13th 2020, 9:05 PM

    @Angel Drake: I’m patently aware of the needs of school-aged children and of the myriad of research that overwhelmingly indicates that play dates are not necessary for social development. Informal play with siblings etc. and interaction in school-based settings is far more valuable than the kind of contrived and overly structured situations that parents conjure up.

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    Mute Kevin Bury
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    Mar 13th 2020, 11:43 PM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: seriously, go pet ur cat

    40
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    Mute Shakka1244
    Favourite Shakka1244
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    Mar 13th 2020, 5:50 PM

    Kids can catch it and kids can spread it.
    Please everyone, just for a few weeks, assume you have the virus and act like you don’t want to spread it.
    We all need to work together here !

    233
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    Mute Shakka1244
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    Mar 13th 2020, 6:27 PM

    @David Jordan: Please ignore this. It’s pure lies.
    .
    @journal, please remove this dangerous misinformation. I’ve seen this poster spout this rubbish on loads of threads.

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    Mute Shakka1244
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    Mar 13th 2020, 7:05 PM

    @Shakka1244: thank you @journal
    Fair pkay

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Mar 13th 2020, 7:25 PM

    @Shakka1244: ????????

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    Mute Shakka1244
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    Mar 13th 2020, 9:07 PM

    @Quentin Moriarty: someone called David Jordan keeps posting the same stuff saying kids can’t catch it or spread it. Completely false. I asked for his post to be removed.

    18
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    Mute Dino
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    Mar 13th 2020, 10:04 PM

    @Shakka1244: thank god, if it wasn’t for people like you I don’t know what we would do

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    Mute Bleurgh
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    Mar 13th 2020, 5:59 PM

    Look people it’s 2 weeks, with your children….relax! It’s good for kids to be bored. I have friends who grew up in rural Ireland in the 80s, who wouldn’t see anyone outside their family for 2 or 3 weeks over the summer.
    I have muted my kids classes WhatsApp groups, I am so annoyed at the parents talking with such dread of being at home with their own children in their own house. I’d rather my kids at home than visiting them in icu. Myself and himself are trying to do working from
    Home in shifts.
    Also I hate play dates with a passion, I wish for the days that kids knocked on the door to play!
    Deal with it, it’s a few weeks!

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    Mute Paddy Dunne
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    Mar 13th 2020, 6:45 PM

    @Bleurgh: it’s not going to be 2 weeks it’s going to be at least a month 2 weeks is preliminary 4 days to Easter hols there will be no school till after Easter

    50
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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Mar 13th 2020, 6:50 PM

    @Bleurgh: There is absolutely no way this is just a 2 week closure. The governments plan is to try delay the peak of infection until late spring/early summer when the usual winter type ailments all but die out, thus leaving the health services under a little less pressure and better able to focus on this particular virus. Even the governments experts are saying our peak is at least weeks away, if not months, so how would it make any sense to reopen schools when the situation is going to be worse on the 29th March than it is now ? Ive no doubt the closure will be extended until after the easter break, and if at that point the number of infections are still rising then anything is possible. Wouldn’t be one bit surprised if the closures run up to the summer holidays and schools dont reopen until next Sept.

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    Mute Jacqueline McCabe
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    Mar 13th 2020, 5:47 PM

    No

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    Mute Arya
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    Mar 13th 2020, 5:42 PM

    How are the children learning at home? Is there tools online from the schools or department of education?

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    Mute Johnny BeGoode
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    Mar 13th 2020, 5:44 PM

    @Arya: The educational website twinkl is offering free membership to all parents this month, this is a fantastic resource. Go to www.twinkl.ie/offer and enter the code IRLTWINKLHELPS

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    Mute Record Sunshine
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    Mar 13th 2020, 5:45 PM

    @Arya: mine are learning all about Zelda at the moment. They’re in primary school and a few weeks of doing f all won’t harm their career prospects.

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    Mute Bríd
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    Mar 13th 2020, 5:45 PM

    @Arya: Yes, there’s lots of online classroom resources. Many schools are using Google Classroom and Edmodo as well as sending links home, textbooks and assigning research projects.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Mar 13th 2020, 5:47 PM

    @Arya: my junior infant will have daily lessons on seesaw. Used it today and its great

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    Mute Sarah Green
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    Mar 13th 2020, 6:00 PM

    @Arya: My son’s school is doing work with the pupils via their iPads.

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    Mute Bleurgh
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    Mar 13th 2020, 6:00 PM

    @Arya: teachers in primary have sent home packs for kids to do. At second level many have platforms where teachers have uploaded work

    16
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    Mute Towger
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    Mar 13th 2020, 6:30 PM

    @Arya: My secondary children had a full day of school online today, following their normal timetable. The school is using MS Teams. By all accounts it went better than expected.

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    Mute Adam Conroy
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    Mar 13th 2020, 7:20 PM

    @Arya: they’re using online platforms. In fairness though, most education happens at home. A month out of school won’t do any harm.

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    Mute Mark Porter
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    Mar 13th 2020, 7:50 PM

    @Arya: our secondary school has online access to subjects and work.

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    Mute Kevin Bury
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    Mar 13th 2020, 11:47 PM

    @Record Sunshine: 78 thumbs up…. villages and their idiots

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    Mute Kevin Thompson
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    Mar 14th 2020, 7:55 AM

    Regardless whether it is 2 weeks or 2 months to mind your own children, it would be a great opportunity to teach them not to be selfish a**holes in hoarding as their adult counterparts and learn how to look after the more vulnerable in society

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    Mute Mark Porter
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    Mar 13th 2020, 7:48 PM

    2 weeks is the isolation period.

    2
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