The Health Service Executive is insisting Irish babies are not at higher risk of getting Tuberculosis (TB) because of a lack of BCG vaccinations.

Stocks of the vaccination have once again run out, because only one European supplier is approved for distribution here.

It is a problem health services right across Europe are experiencing.

The BCG vaccination is part of the regular childhood vaccination schedule, and is usually administered to infants in the first weeks of life. Often the injection is offered in the maternity hospital in the days after a baby is born.

But in April Irish stocks ran out.

We had the same problem last year and in 2007 and 2008.

The HSE has issued a statement on the issue: "This vaccine manufacturer has informed us that BCG vaccine will not be delivered into Ireland until October at the earliest."

TB affects two billion people globally. In 2013 1.5 million people died from the disease, according to the World Health Organisation.

There were 328 cases of TB here in 2014, but none of them were in young children.

In Ireland the number of cases of TB has been falling.

HSE staff will arrange appointments for BCG vaccination clinics when supply is restored.

The advice is that you should continue to seek the other childhood vaccinations as normal.