A LETTER claiming young children vaccinated against swine flu are "being treated as human guinea pigs" is being circulated to parents encouraging them to threaten legal action against their schools.

Irish notaries – generally solicitors who are granted power by the Supreme Court to officiate documentation – are listed on the letter and parents are urged to seek their signature before sending a copy with their child's details to their school.

The Faculty of Notaries Public (FNP) in Ireland has warned its members that it is being asked to approve the correspondence to lend it a degree of legal gravitas.

The wording states that the undersigned parent would view the vaccination of their child as a breach of civil rights.

"Those children who are being injected with the vaccines are being treated as human guinea pigs," it says. "As a parent, part of my responsibility to my child is to protect them from potentially dangerous chemicals or unproven medications that may cause neurological side effects.

"If my child is subjected to vaccines of any kind without permission, I will immediately seek legal counsel in an attempt to hold your school responsible for all long-term medical costs potentially associated with the vaccine side effects. I will also sue for violation of my child's civil rights."

Dr Eamon Shanahan of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) said that he and colleagues had received copies of the letter via email, although its origin remains unclear. He added that the low uptake among parents of young children can be partly due to concerns over its safety.

"Only 30% of parents contacted in the under-fives have actually responded to make appointments and the HSE were encouraging them to make contact," he said. "There is continuous debate and a certain amount of unfounded fear about the vaccination."

Laois-based solicitor Gerard O'Donoghue, who was listed as a notary on the letter, said that he had nothing to do with its circulation nor was he aware of its existence.