Jack & Jill founder Jonathan Irwin issued a statement today saying he found O'Brien's comments “hurtful” and “insulting”.
The HSE chief came to talk about vaccines as he said uptake of the vaccine in Ireland had reached an all-time low.
Mr O'Brien claimed there was a “well-orchestrated” campaign of “emotional terrorism” targeting parents, teenage girls and teachers with “misinformation” about vaccines.
But today Mr Irwin told HSE chiefs in a public statement:
“I am one of the 'emotional terrorists' you refer to in your attacks on parents who dare question the side effects of the Gardasil vaccine,” Irwin said.
“I find your comments hurtful, insulting and completely over the top. I refuse to be labeled as such.”
Mr Irwin said his 17-year-old daughter Molly had been feeling unwell ever since she got the vaccine when she was 13.
“My aim in telling Molly's story is to tell the story of what happened to her daughter in an easy-to-understand way, without exaggeration or dramatization, and to urge the HSE to provide more details to parents about the possible side effects of this vaccine. It is to encourage.”
“I'm not anti-vaccine. I'm just very concerned about parents telling the truth. It's the reality for our family.”
“The HSE should embrace troubled parents like us, listen to our stories and learn from our experiences. It should not embarrass us or antagonize us.”
“So please, stop this rant, wake up and listen to these very real issues. You don't have to be a doctor to ask questions. And don't let the questions get to you, don't let the questions get to you. A health care system that doesn't acknowledge that this might be the case. That's so wrong,” Irwin said.
“We expect more compassion from our health service leaders.”
The HSE yesterday launched a campaign to increase uptake of HPV vaccination in secondary schools after the uptake plummeted to 50%.
Dr Karina Butler, from Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin, said she was confident the vaccine was safe.
Almost one woman a day in Ireland will continue to be diagnosed with cervical cancer unless more girls are given the preventive HPV vaccine, a leading infectious disease consultant has warned.
