§ Sir Dudley SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has of the number of professional people and workers who are at risk in contracting hepatitis B as a result of their duties; and what approximate percentage have been inoculated against it.
§ Mr. DorrellHepatitis B can be contracted in many ways in private life as well as through professional activity. For this reason, it is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of the numbers of professional people and workers at risk of contracting the disease as a result of their duties. The incidence of hepatitis B in both the general public and public service workers has declined markedly from a total of 1,785 laboratory reports in 1985 to 644 such reports in 1988.
Professional people considered at risk may have been vaccinated either through occupational health services or by their general practitioners, and it is not possible therefore to estimate the percentage who have received vaccination.
§ Sir Dudley SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that all who are at risk through their work in the public service have been given adequate warning about hepatitis B and information as to how they can obtain inoculation against it.
§ Mr. DorrellDepartmental advice regarding hepatitis B vaccination is contained in the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation's memorandum "Immunisation against Infectious Disease". A new edition of this memorandum will be published this month, copies of which will be placed in the Library. The potential risks arising from work in the public service have been drawn to the attention of the relevant occupational health services whose responsibility it is to assess those who may be considered for vaccination.