Around 30,000 children and adults who received a BCG vaccine between April 2000 and 2002 are to be examined by their local Health Boards to see if the vaccine has been effective.
This follows an announcement today by the Minister for Health that the Irish Medicines Board has advised that a further batch of the BCG vaccine has been found to be less potent that that which is normally administered.
The use of the BCG vaccine manufactured by Evans Vaccines Ltd has been suspended since July when it was discovered that a batch administered to 2,500 people, mainly babies, was less effective than it should have been. The company's licence has also been suspended.
In a statement today, the Minister said that there is no health threat to persons who received the vaccine from either of the two batches concerned, other than that they may not have received immunity from the vaccine.
BCG provides protection against TB and is normally given to children at birth at maternity hospitals.
Alternative effective supplies of BCG vaccine have been secured and are being delivered to the health boards. More will be available in September.
