§ 8. Mr. Hastingsasked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement as to the present position regarding the recent campaign for inoculation of children against poliomyelitis and his plans for further inoculation in the future.
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. R. H. Turton)176,200 children were vaccinated last May and June, including 27,000 who received only one injection. Nearly 1½ million children whose names were registered earlier this year will be given priority when vaccination is resumed. This should be in December for those children who have had one injection and in January for the others, but this further programme will depend on the rate of supply and testing of the vaccine.
§ Mr. HastingsIf the Minister hopes to start inoculation in December, is it not important that arrangements should be made at once, local authorities informed and everything prepared? I understand that some local authorities have been informed, but I am a member of a health committee of one local authority which, until recently, had not been informed.
§ Mr. TurtonI entirely agree; a circular is being issued shortly to local health authorities giving details of the arrangements.
§ Dr. SummerskillIn view of the strong adverse criticism by the British Medical Association of the Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary for using the poliomyelitis campaign for party political propaganda at the Llandudno Conservative Party Conference, will the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking that that propaganda will not be continued when the campaign is continued?
§ Mr. TurtonI think the right hon. Lady is misinformed. I personally made no speech at the Welsh resort, and I understand that my Parliamentary Secretary made no such reference as the right hon. Lady has alleged.
§ Dr. SummerskillIf the right hon. Gentleman reads the British Medical Journal for that period he will see the speech of the hon. Lady. He is responsible for speeches made by his Parliamentary Secretary. He will see that for the second time this year he has been adversely criticised by the great majority of doctors in this country.