§ Mr. Jannerasked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he will instruct the Medical Research Council to investigate the desirability of immunising children against contracting German measles during later life, possibly during pregnancy, by infecting them while young, in view of the fact that the German measles virus has not yet been isolated.
§ Mr. Vaughan-MorganUntil a controlled method of conferring immunity to German measles is available, the risk exists of conveying a virus of unknown virulence from person to person as well as the possibility of transmitting another unrelated infection. The successful isolation and culture of the casual virus may lead to the production of a vaccine against German measles. Apart from the field of virology, the problem would not seem to be a matter for research, but rather one of assessing the advantages and disadvantages of spreading the natural disease in early life.