§ 2.49 p.m.
Lord BRUCE of DONINGTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question 6 which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are satisfied that adequate supplies of anti-flu vaccine will be available this coming winter in the United Kingdom to meet any apprehended threat from swine flu or similar viruses.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Health made a full statement about " swine " influenza in his reply to the honourable Member for South Bedfordshire on 25th May last. As the statement is a long one, I am arranging for it to be included in your Lordships' Official Report.
[Following is the statement referred to:]
As I explained to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Moonman) on 17th May—[Vol. 911, c. 423–4]—officers of my Department received detailed information about the outbreak of swine ' influenza from the United States Government and from the United States Department of the Army in particular. Many discussions have taken place between experts internationally about this outbreak. Much information has been published and the World Health Organisation has circulated advice in the Weekly Epidemiological Record No. 16 issued on 15th April 1976, a copy of which is in the Library. I do not think it would be helpful to publish separately the substance of individual discussions by officers of my Department.As far as the general position in this country is concerned, I am now able to make a further statement to the one I gave to hon. Members on 6th April.—[Vol. 909, c. 147–49.]I have received the following advice from the Advisory Group on Vaccination against Influenza, which met on 20th May:'The Advisory Group on Influenza has again reviewed A/New Jersey (" swine ") influenza, in the light of all available information from the USA and other countries. There has been no evidence of further spread of swine influenza in the USA, nor is there any evidence that it has appeared in any other country. The Group concluded that the extent of prevalence of swine influenza in man in the future was difficult to predict but reaffirmed its previous advice that there was no indication at present for mass immunisation in the UK in preparation for the coming winter.'The Group endorsed its previous recommendations that a " swine " influenza virus component should be incorporated in inactivated influenza vaccine for the coming season. This vaccine would be used for the categories of persons at special risk as defined in the Chief Medical Officer's letter of 20th November 1975 (CMO 30/75).'The Group considered the report to the Director-General, World Health Organisation, 7 of the meeting in Geneva in April on " swine " influenza and accepted the advice that surveillance at a national level should be extended to detect any spread of the A/New Jersey virus to the human and swine population in the United Kingdom. In accord with the WHO recommendations the Advisory Group also recommended establishing a reserve of monovalent swine influenza vaccine for persons engaged in the maintenance of essential services for use in the event of indications of a serious epidemic. The Group agreed to maintain a close watch on developments in other countries with particular reference to any tendency to unusual virulence in any influenza epidemics which may occur.' As recommended by the WHO the Group agreed that there was need to secure a supply of relevant antibiotics for treatment of bacterial pneumonia which can arise as a complication of influenza '.I have accepted this advice and in the light of it arrangements are being made immediately, for this winter, to establish a reserve which I am initially setting at 1 million doses of vaccine. This will be additional to the 1 million doses mentioned in my statement of 6th April. I am also taking steps to ensure the supply of antibiotics as recommended by the advisory group. My Department will be discussing with those responsible for essential services their requirements for vaccine.The advisory group has arranged to meet again if there is any significant change in the position.
Lord BRUCE of DONINGTONMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that my Question was down on the Order Paper prior to the Question being asked in the other place, but that in order to meet the convenience of my noble friend it was postponed? Is my noble friend also aware that two considerations arise from the essential time lag between the time of innoculation against influenza and the time when it becomes effective: that it is necessary for the Government to make quite sure that stocks of vaccine are sufficiently decentralised to meet an emergency when it arises and that the general public should be advised in good time of the advantages to be obtained from inoculation?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for putting off his Question for reasons to assist me, and in reply to his supplementary question may I say that my right honourable friend is aware of all that my noble friend has said and is in fact taking steps to carry out the advice given by the World Health Organisation, not only to disseminate information but to prepare contingency plans. We have in 8 reserve 1 million doses of vaccine which is of the monovalent type; that is the one strain vaccine which in this particular instance will deal with swine influenza. By the beginning of the autumn we shall have available 2½ to 2¾ million doses of the trivalent; that is the three strain vaccine which deals not only with swine influenza but with the particularly virulent form which comes from Hong Kong, and another strain. From past experience and from the advice which we have been able to obtain from the World Health Organisation we feel that these arrangements will meet any situation that may arise.