HL Deb 03 November 1987 vol 489 cc889-90

3.14 p.m.

Lord Plunket

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review their current vaccination recommendations to people intending to travel overseas.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Skelmersdale)

My Lords, our current vaccination recommendations to people travelling overseas are contained in a leaflet entitled Protect Your Health Abroad issued by the Department of Health and Social Security with the reference number SA35. The recommendations on vaccination are in accordance with the current professional advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and are kept under continuous review.

Lord Plunket

My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for that reply. Nevertheless the department, by way of the leaflet to which he has drawn our attention, strongly recommends that people have vaccinations against polio, typhoid, cholera and yellow fever when they visit many countries although the health authorities in those countries neither recommend that visitors should have the vaccinations nor have vaccination programmes of their own. Surely, people from the United Kingdom proposing to visit those countries are being encouraged to waste their money and their time, quite apart from the serum that is used. Would it not be more sensible to qualify these recommendations by advising people before going abroad to seek the advice of health authorities in the countries to which they are travelling, or to ask their friends and relatives there? Surely these recommendations take the policy of being safe rather than sorry beyond reason.

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, my noble friend raises an interesting point. However, conditions of hygiene, sanitation and mosquito infestation vary widely within countries. The leaflet therefore lists what is appropriate for each country as a whole. It would not be practical to go into greater detail in a leaflet for the general travelling public. As to his wider point, I think people should be encouraged to believe that their health is the most precious thing they have.

Lord Winstanley

My Lords, is it not a fact that these matters are constantly kept under review in the light of advice from the World Health Organisation about which infection is present where and when? This means that the advice has to change very frequently. Can the noble Lord say how often the leaflet he has described, which is very helpful, is revised and how often new editions are produced?

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, it is revised as often as the joint committee suggests it should be. There is no bar on finances or anything else in this matter.

Lord Ennals

My Lords, is the Minister aware that some travel agencies are very remiss in bringing this information to the notice of their clients who are travelling—sometimes with serious potential dangers? Would he bring this to the attention of his noble friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in order that the information of which he spoke is made available to all travellers?

Lord Skelmersdale

Yes, my Lords, I am glad to say that we are getting better. Last year 1.7 million leaflets were issued. This year the figure is 2 million. We are having a drive on uptake, for example among Association of British Travel Agents members, but also in places like airports and points of exit and entry.