Cancer vaccine roll-out 'may affect infant check-ups'

THE ROLL-OUT of the cervical cancer vaccine combined with nursing staff shortages may result in cuts to developmental checks for infants, the union representing public health nurses has said.

It has also emerged that parents in some parts of south Dublin have already had health checks for their babies delayed due to the recruitment moratorium.

Public health nurses have been told to prioritise delivery of the vaccine, Phil Ní Sheaghdha director of Industrial Relations with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said yesterday.

Some students are receiving the vaccine over the summer.

However, most of the current and new first-year secondary school girls will receive the vaccination in September, she said.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha said the INMO has told the Health Service Executive (HSE) that if the moratorium is not lifted, nurses would not be able to deliver some essential check-ups for babies.

The INMO is favour of the cervical cancer vaccine but the nurses needed to deliver it are coming from the same pool as other areas, such as infant checks, she said .

The HSE said it was currently in negotiations with the INMO on plans for the roll-out of the vaccine in September, a statement said.

Public health nurses currently provide a screening and support programme for parents involving nine age-related visits from birth to pre-school years.

Nurses pick up many corrective childhood issues during these checks, Ms Ní Sheaghdha said.

These include the muscle tone and hip test designed to check the child has no impediment before they walk or to check for hearing deficiency.

“If they are ignored for a further six or 12 months it can have very significant negative implications,” she said.

Terenure mother Nicola Jordan said she has been told that her seven-month-old daughter Lucy’s developmental check-up was cancelled for the foreseeable future, as had checks for other children over three months, due to staff shortages.

She told The Irish Timesthat she was extremely concerned about the cut.

The HSE said temporary adjustments were required due to unusually high levels of sick leave and maternity leave and it was unable to reach all those on the planned itinerary.

However, the situation has been rectified and services in Dublin south city are to return to normal within a month, it added.