A ingle batch of the BCG vaccine was recalled from the Irish market due to a possibility of reduced effectiveness, the Southern Health Board has divulged.
 

The vaccine, which is given to protect against TB, has been in use in Kerry since the beginning of March this year.
 

But, according to Health Board public health specialist, Dr Margaret O Sullivan, there is no serious concern for the children vaccinated.
 

"There is a possible lack of effectiveness, that it may not offer the protection that it should," she revealed.
 

Dr O Sullivan claimed that the chances of one of the children vaccinated with the defective batch coming into contact with the potentially lethal TB was "highly unlikely".
 

She added that there would only be a danger if the BCG vaccine had no impact at all which, she stressed, was also unlikely.
 

The Health Board is adamant that the vaccine does not pose a health risk to any of its recipients and officials have pledged to contact each individual who received the defective batch.
 

"Any child or adult that received the vaccine will be contacted before the end of this week to advise them of it," Dr O Sullivan said.
 

"They will be called for a follow-up examination to see if they have the characteristic scar associated with the BCG," she added.
 

If necessary the patients will be offered further testing and a follow-up skin test to see if the vaccine has been effective.
 

The offer of a further BCG vaccination has not been ruled out for children where the vaccine has had no effect.
 

Meanwhile, The Kingdom has ascertained that there are 70 to 80 new cases of TB confirmed in the Southern Health Board area of Kerry and Cork every year.