§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the annual additional cost to the NHS of changing from three separate vaccines to a single MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine from 1988 onwards. [HL3458]
§ Baroness HaymanThe three separate vaccines have never been recommended in the United Kingdom. Prior to the introduction of MMR in 1988, measles vaccine was given to children aged 12 to 18 months and rubella vaccine was given to girls at age 10 to 14 years. Mumps vaccine was not routinely given at all. It is not possible to give the annual additional cost of the change in vaccine regimen as the costs to the National Health Service of giving measles and rubella vaccine prior to 1988 are not held centrally.
§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What the annual additional cost to the NHS would be of changing from a single MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine to three separate vaccines. [HL3459]
§ Baroness HaymanNo estimates as to the cost of introducing separate vaccines have been made as separate vaccines have never been part of the national childhood immunisation programme and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which provides expert and independent advice on vaccination, advises against it. The use of single vaccines in place of MMR is not recommended since there is no evidence that doing this has any benefit and it may even be harmful. Government policy is to ensure parents are provided with factual information about immunisation and that immunisation recommendations are backed up by sound scientific research. The administration of separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines instead of MMR is not supported by any studies into its safety or efficacy.
§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What national tracking of adverse responses to current MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccines is taking place in the National Health Service. [HL3511]
§ Baroness HaymanThe safety of vaccines is carefully monitored both by the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advise United Kingdom Health Ministers. The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) of the Department of Health receives spontaneous reports of suspected adverse reactions to vaccines from coroners, doctors and pharmacists under the voluntary Yellow Card Scheme. There is also a statutory requirement for pharmaceutical companies to report reactions to vaccines to the MCA. Reports of adverse reactions are208WA entered on to a national database operated by the MCA, which regularly screens the data and, when necessary initiates further investigations.