The Health Service Executive is seeking tenders for the supply of around 170,000 booster HIB vaccines against meningitis and other diseases.
The first batch of 50,000 vaccines is expected in late October; another 50,000 vaccines are expected in early December.
The HSE expects all of the vaccines to be available by early next year. The executive said the campaign would cost €10 million.
The HSE confirmed it wrote to the Department of Health and Children on 16 August regarding the organisation and funding of the programme. The Department of Health responded by saying that the allocation of resources was a matter for the HSE itself.
Yesterday it was confirmed that a two-year-old Co Louth boy died from a type of meningitis despite having been vaccinated.
Last month, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee advised the Department of Health and Children that a HIB booster programme should be introduced.
