Immunisation (Hansard, 24 January 1974)

§ Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will outline in the OFFICIAL REPORT the categories of children at risk when they are immunised ;

(2) if he is satisfied that all parents are aware of the possibilities of adverse reactions when their children are immunised ;

(3) why he has not yet instituted a scheme of compensation for vaccine-damaged children ;

(4) what study he has made of the six European countries' schemes for compensation to vaccine-damaged children ;

(5) what steps he has taken to establish the actual number of children who have been damaged by vaccines ;

(6) if he will now estimate the number of children who have been damaged by vaccines since they became routine ;

(7) how many children under 5 years of age, in each of the last five years, developed whooping cough after being vaccinated ; and what proportion they were of all children vaccinated against whooping cough ;

(8) how many children under 5 years of age, in each of the last five years, developed whooping cough and were not vaccinated against it ; and what proportion they were of all children who got whooping cough ;

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(9) if he will take steps to institute a comprehensive statistical study of the adverse effects of vaccines ;

(10) if he will take steps to ensure that all local authorities report to him suspected cases of vaccine damage ;

(11) why he is not wholly satisfied with the proportion of adverse reactions to vaccines reported by doctors ;

(12) what evidence he has for his statement, in a letter to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South on 20th November 1973, that the incidence of severe reactions to vaccinating healthy children is small ;

(13) to what cause he attributes damage to children damaged by vaccines ;

(14) if he is satisfied with the standards of all vaccines used by the National Health Service ;

(15) If he is satisfied that all children are adequately screened for possible allergies before being vaccinated ;

(16) if he is satisfied that proper care is taken in the vaccination procedures under the National Health Service ;

(17) if he is satisfied that the Committee on Safety or Medicines is well informed about adverse reactions to vaccinated children ;

(18) what advice he gives to medical officers of health about means of identifying adverse reactions to vaccines ;

(19) if the terms of reference of the Royal Commission on Civil Liability and Personal Injury allow it to recommend retrospective compensation to children damaged by vaccines.