The Minister for Health is being asked to investigate whether emergency vaccine supplies can be found overseas.

The call comes after it emerged that there's a European shortage of the BCG vaccine against tubercolosis.

There's only one supplier of the jab in the European Union, and it may be into next year before adequate supplies reach the market.

Fianna Fáíl's spokesman on children, Robert Troy, wants the government to look at finding other suppliers outside Europe: