§ 79. Mr. CARTERasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the conclusion arrived at in the recent report of the Rolleston Committee on Vaccination in regard to the necessity of trying to find some means of protecting against small-pox other than that of the direct introduction of a living virus into the organism, he will introduce a Bill at an early date to suspend the compulsory Clauses of the Vaccination Acts, as has been done in Holland, until the experimental researches now in hand have been completed, particularly in view of the continued occurrence of deaths from post-vaccinal encephalitis after the use of Government lymph?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI have under consideration the whole subject of vaccination, but I cannot in present circumstances undertake to introduce legislation dealing with this question. I may point out that the compulsory requirements of the Vaccination Acts are in effect limited to infants under 12 months of age, and that in this class the occurrence of post-vaccinal encephalitis has been practically negligible, whereas I understand that in Holland the compulsory measure which has been suspended related to the vaccination of children at school age. I may add that since 1st January, 1930, a total of seven cases of post-vaccinal encephalitis have been reported, two of which have proved fatal.
Mr. ERNEST WINTERTONWill the right hon. Gentleman study the experience of Leicester, a non-vaccination town?