§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of doses of pertussis vaccine and triple vaccine currently held in stock by his Department; and what is the value of the stock.
Deaths reported as suspected adverse reactions to Whooping Cough or other Vaccines 1964–1968 1969–1973 1974–1978 1979–1983 1984 Total whooping cough vaccine primary courses completed by persons under age 16 (United Kingdom)* 3,921,040 3,369,194 ¶1,607,644 1,980,462 471,033 Total reported deaths occurring in persons under age 16 during first two days following whooping cough vaccine (United Kingdom) 8 2 3 9 1 Total "other vaccine" † primary courses completed by persons under age 16 (England only)‡ ║3,382,236 6,069,096 ¶5,366,385 5,756,189 1,121,946 Total reported deaths occuring in persons under age 16 during first two days following "other vaccines" (United Kingdom) — — — 4 — * Types of vaccine or dose included are Quadruple DTPP, Triple DTP, Pertussis/diphtheria, and Pertussis. † "Other vaccines" refers to measles, diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis except where administered in combination with whooping cough vaccine. ‡ Complete Information by type of vaccine is not available for all parts of the United Kingdom. ║ 1966–1968 only. Data for total number of vaccine courses completed before 1966 are not available. ¶ From 1974 to 1976 excludes Avon area health authority for which data are not available.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Committee on Safety of Medicines or the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has had any discussions with the US authorities about the efficacy and safety of the whooping cough vaccine.
§ Mr. WhitneyNeither committee has had formal discussions with the United States health authorities about whooping cough vaccine, but they are kept informed of and take into account developments in the United States of America and other countries.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has made with its investigation of the Japanese whooping cough vaccine; whether it has received the report of the World Health
818W
§ Mr. WhitneySupplies of these vaccines are obtained by the National Health Service through the normal trade distribution channels. The Department does not hold stocks.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in each five-year period since 1964, what was the number of yellow card reports made to the Committee on Safety of Medicines regarding sudden death, within 48 hours after (a) vaccination against whooping cough and (b) other vaccinations; in each of these periods, how many vaccinations against whooping cough were carried out and what was the number of other non-whooping cough vaccinations; and what investigations were made by the Committee on Safety of Medicines as to the possibility of a causal relationship between vaccination and the reported deaths.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe information requested is set out in the table. The Committee on Safety of Medicines has a policy of examining clinical and pathological data relating to deaths reported as associated with whooping cough or other vaccines. In addition, the committee has considered the general issue of the safety of vaccination on a number of occasions since 1964. Its investigations have not lead the committee to attribute a causal relationship between vaccination and sudden death.
Organisation trials; whether any information is available to it as to whether the Japanese have found evidence of any deaths or side effects resulting from the vaccine since they started using it in 1981; when it plans to have completed its investigation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe joint committee has studied the published papers concerning the Japanese whooping cough vaccine. It noted that among the limited numbers of children to whom this vaccine was administered the incidence of serious neurological reaction and sudden infamt death syndrome (SIDS) was minimal. However, administration of this vaccine was limited mainly to children who were aged 2 years or older and who were therefore out of the age range when coincidental serious neurological disease or SIDS occur.
819WThe World Health Organisation has not directly organised formal trials of new whooping cough vaccines. The trials of a Japanese vaccine in Sweden by the Swedish Government are still in progress and no results have been published.
The Committee on the Development of Vaccines and Immunological Products (CDVIP) of the Medical Research Council (MRC) at the beginning of 1985 set up a sub-committee to consider improved forms of whooping cough vaccine. Products from Japan, Canada and the Centre for Applied Microbiological Research of the Public Health Laboratory Service have been considered by this sub-committee. As soon as a suitable candidate vaccine is identified and sufficient supplies of this vaccine are assured, carefully conducted field trials on the vaccine will be mounted in this country.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number of whooping cough vaccinations carried out in each year since 1964.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe available information is set out in the table.
Children under age 16 completing primary courses of immunization against whooping cough: England Year Number of children 1964*† 679,382 1965* 697,653 1966 659,202 1967 676,352 1968 596,644 1969‡ 433,364 1970 587,270 1971 608,483 1972 600,863 1973 556,535 1974║ 428,300 1975║ 247,900 1976║ 240,600 1977 191,899 1978 199,389 1979 250,250 1980 285,561 1981 320,496 1982 384,827 1983 405,744 1984 391,669 * England and Wales. Data for Entland only are not available prior to 1966. † Children under age 15. ‡ Low figure reflects change in the recommended immunization schedule. ║ Includes estimated numbers for one area health authority.