42 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will review procedures for the distribution of vaccines and proper record keeping in respect of childhood vaccination, in view of the recent series of disturbing reports regarding failures and inadequacies of the current systems. [9975/01]

The administration of the childhood immunisation programme is a matter, in the first instance, for the health boards. Since December 1995 general practitioners have been contracted by the health boards to deliver the primary childhood immunisation programme.

In view of the level of administration of oral polio vaccine, OPV, after its expiry date my Department has already requested health boards to examine systems and procedures currently in place, to identify shortcomings where these exist and to put in place revised systems-procedures as a matter of urgency.

In addition health boards have been requested to take appropriate measures in respect of all vaccines administered from this point forward to ensure the validation of all key information, that is patient name, batch number and expiry date, by cross reference to registration and supply databases.