THE MEP WHO WENT ON RADIO TO TALK ABOUT ‘SIDE-EFFECTS’ OF HPV JAB... BUT NOW SAYS SHE BACKS IT!
MORE THAN TWO YEARS AFTER BEING ELECTED AS AN MEP, LIADH NÍ RIADA SPOKE PUBLICLYABOUT HER DAUGHTER’S HPV JAB ON THE OPINION LINE WITH PJ COOGAN ON CORK’S 96FM ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2016. HERE IS WHAT WAS SAID...
You are joining me not wearing your Sinn Féin hat as such, but wearing your mommy’s hat. I don’t want to revisit the whole vaccine yes, vaccine no, kind of carry on, but you’ve got some concerns about the HPV vaccine based on things you have been reading. Is that right?
‘Well I suppose so really, and like any parent that is frazzled and mithered coming back to school with all the increased expense of school costs and everything. I had, like every other parent who has a 12 or 13-year-old daughter, received the leaflet from the HSE giving consent, or asking me for consent for the HPV vaccine for my daughter.
‘Now my problem was that I was given [it] midweek. You had 24 hours to kind of sign it and pass it on to the school.
‘So I signed it, because I had discussed it with my husband and I thought, look it, you are kind of damned if you do and damned if you don’t. We gave it to our first daughter, will we give it to our second daughter? And then I suppose that later on, I put it up on Facebook – my own personal page – just outlining that I was a little bit concerned about it – like all vaccines, you are always aware of the risk.
‘And so a whole load of people started coming back to me, I suppose various constituents as well were raising concerns about it – there is a small amount of people that have had a bad reaction to it.
‘And one of my biggest issues I think is that in the information that you are given, there’s only six of the symptoms or possible side effects listed. And if you look at the manufacturers of it, I think there is about 25 possible side effects. So... I think... the lack of information really is the biggest concern.
‘And so I was flip-flopping, and flip-flopping. And with the result that I then sent a note into school today with my daughter to say I didn’t want her to get the vaccine, the HPV vaccine.
‘Now I am still in two minds about it, because I think anything that can obviously reduce the risk of any type of cancer is a good thing.
But like every other parent, you want to do your best for your child and at the same time – it is a really hard call, it’s a tough decision.’ Why was there no doubt with regard to your first child?
‘I think I was unaware possibly of the side-effects... that was two years ago that she got it – and I was unaware perhaps of the amount of girls that have had negative side-effects from this.
‘And so it was really from other constituents talking to me about it who had experience of this. I spoke
to various medical professionals – [who] would be friends of mine – and I have to say, it didn’t inspire huge confidence in me either.’ Did they not?
‘They didn’t really, no, this is on a personal basis and I am not politicising this issue in anyway.’
No and that’s why I introduced you in the way that I did... Did you speak to your own GP?
‘I did, and I spoke to various nurses, and they weren’t exactly very inspiring in terms of whether to go ahead or not. Obviously it’s a
decision every parent has to make.’
Q: I suppose it’s your own call at the end of the day…
‘It’s your own call, absolutely. And... now I have sent the note back into the school saying I don’t want her to get the vaccine, but I am still kind of going… well … (*interrupted, with few words audible at this part*) God forbid if something happened.’
Q: And can you change your mind on that if you do decide..?
‘I think they are being given the injection on the 12th. I have to say with my first daughter, she had absolutely no reaction, but she didn’t get the top-up, you know you get it twice. And I never sent her for the second dose. And now...’
Q: ...and was that for the same reason… maybe...?
‘It wasn’t. It was due to the fact that she was actually missing from school that day. And I am kind of going, uhh, it’s just a really, really hard call.
‘And my sympathies go out to all of those girls that were affected badly, because clearly there is a number of people that were... now I’m sure the Government has to regulate…’ (interrupted)
Q: I don’t want to draw us back into what was a very heated and I tell you something Liadh, a very angry debate on this show in the last couple of weeks between science and people who feel their daughters were affected. Science is insistent that this vaccine is 100% safe, that’s what the
science community tell us. But again there is this difference between what you get at the GP and what it says on the manufacturer’s leaflet. Does the manufacturer’s leaflet cause you to worry?
‘It does, and I suppose on another level – look it, we all know, you like to have huge trust and faith, and I do, in the medical profession and in science. But then again, you see with the HSE, it is in a bit of a shambles, you kind of think well – how much can you trust that this is absolutely 100% safe. I don’t think you could probably say that about anything. But at the same time, I think it is better if parents are fully informed of all the facts before making that informed personal choice. Because like I said, all that information of the manufacturers is not in the leaflet.
‘So before you head into any major decision like that, I think you have to be fully equipped with all the facts, and that’s the question that I would have, why didn’t they put down all the facts.’
...AND HERE’S WHAT SHE TOLD ÁINE LAWLOR ON RTÉ RADIO 1 YESTERDAY
Q: You said on Drivetime with Mary Wilson last night that you wouldn’t discuss whether your daughters have had the HPV vaccine for privacy reasons, though you had previously said publicly [that] you had opposed their vaccination at school. Now as a parent, all parents care about the privacy of their children and I don’t want to intrude on yours. On the other hand, if you are a President of the people, don’t the voters need to know that you are living what you preach, and not just preaching support for the HPV vaccine? And that’s why I have asked you that question.
‘Firstly Áine, your facts are absolutely wrong. Because I never opposed the vaccination. I was always in favour of it. What I was simply doing was raising [the question]
Q: You wrote to the school...
‘No, I raised concerns about the lack of information. I never actually was on record saying I opposed it. So it’s good to get the facts right.’
Q: Cork 96FM in 2016 and on Facebook?
‘If you listen back to that, you will hear me saying I am raising concerns about the lack of information. At no time did I say I was against it.
‘And I am completely.’
Q: You wrote to their school? ‘Sorry?’
Q: You wrote to their school?
‘I didn’t write to their school at all. I don’t know where you are getting your information from. I was looking... as any parent would be concerned about what you are going to inject into any of your children... you want the full facts. That’s all I was raising.
‘And since then...’
Q: We’ve had a huge issue over [inaudible]
‘And since then I have been completely in favour of it.’
Q: And we’ve had a huge issue, and again this is why it’s important to raise this question and it is why I am raising it with you. And I am sorry to intrude in terms of anyone’s family issue – I don’t want to. But it is very important. We’ve seen women out there encouraging politicians all over the country to fully back screening. You are saying publicly you back screening. Is your family living that backing for the HPV vaccine, and should people not know that about you as a Presidential contender?
‘As I said, I am fully in favour of the vaccine and I fully support and endorse, and I think it is very brave what Vicky Phelan and Emma Mhic Mhathúna have done. I have seen cancer up close myself so anybody that can promote a vaccine to prevent such horrendous ravages on anybody has to be supported and promoted.
‘However, I don’t think it is fair that journalists and others like them, there’s almost a sinister element that they’re looking and hounding my children’s private medical records, they are private, they are underage, there is data protection.
‘And I think any parent in this country would be in agreement of that, that they would say our children’s medical records are sacred, they are right to their privacy.’
Q: I merely raised it because it is a public issue, and you have in fact spoken about your concerns publicly and thank you for that.
‘But let me clarify, I am completely in support of the vaccine Áine.’