§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research there has been in the United Kingdom into the efficacy and safety of acellular whooping cough vaccines.
§ Mr. WaldenThe Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid through the Department, is the main Government agency for the promotion of medical research in the United Kingdom.
Grants have been awarded by the MRC to the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Porton, and by the Department of Health and Social Security to St. George's hospital medical school, for collaborative studies of the immunology of whooping cough infection and the response to the currently used whole cell vaccine. These studies were a necessary preliminary to studies of acellular whooping cough vaccines. A comparative study of the safety and immunogenicity of whole cell and acellular vaccines in infants has now been planned and will be funded by the MRC.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultation there has been with the World Health Organisation regarding trials into the safety and efficiency of acellular whooping cough vaccines.
§ Mr. WaldenI understand that Professor D. L. Miller of St. Mary's hospital medical school, who acts as a consultant to the World Health Organisation on respiratory infections, has been involved with WHO coordination of an acellular whooping cough vaccine trial in Sweden. Professor Miller also provides a link between WHO and United Kingdom research effort through his membership of the Medical Research Council's committee on the development of vaccines and immunisation procedures and its whooping cough vaccines subcommittee.