HC Deb 12 March 1931 vol 249 c1375
66. Mr. LEACH

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the recommendation given on page 72 of the last report of the Rolleston Committee on Vaccination in regard to the use of anti-vaccinal serum to mitigate the dangerous encephalitic effects of vaccination, which shows that, notwithstanding the improved methods of performing the operation which have recently been introduced, it is still impossible to guarantee that it will not be followed by nervous complications of a serious character, he will either cease to enforce the operation or compensate the parents in cases where dangerous results arise?

Mr. GREENWOOD

I have no power to suspend or vary the provisions of the Vaccination Acts, which do not provide for the payment of compensation in such cases as my hon. Friend mentions. I may however point out that the compulsory requirements of the 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.

Mr. LEACH

Has anything been done to provide still newer serum in order to counteract the ill-effects of the anti-vaccinal serum?

Mr. GREENWOOD

I must ask for notice of that question.

Forward to