§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue guidance to doctors to ensure that hay fever vaccines are refrigerated when held in stock by a general practitioner.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeGuidance is already available. Regulations made under the Medicines Act require that vaccines, in common with all medicinal products, should be clearly labelled with any special requirements relating to storage and handling. Information about special 387W requirements must be included in the product data sheets produced by the companies and which are supplied to all general practitioners. It is advised in the British Pharmacopoeia that vaccines should be protected from light and, unless otherwise stated in a specific instance, should be stored at temperatures between 2°-8°C and should not be allowed to freeze.