§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine; and if he will make a statement; [75999]
(2) what plans he has for pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine to be assessed by NICE; and if he will make a statement. [76006]
§ Ms BlearsThe Department asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) an independent expert advisory group, to review all available data on the use of this vaccine and report back. This work has now been carried out and the Department are considering their advice.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been prescribed the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in the last three years, broken down by NHS Trust; and if he will make a statement. [76007]
§ Ms BlearsThe number of people who have received pneumococcal vaccine can be estimated by the number of prescription items dispensed in the community for pneumococcal vaccine. The amount of pneumococcal vaccine dispensed in England for the last three years is given below.
Number of Prescription Items Dispensed in the Community for Pneumococcal Vaccine, 1997 to 2001 England Year 1999 2000 2001 Prescription items (thousands) 550.5 539.1 468.1 Net ingredient cost (£ thousands) 5,415.0 5,244.3 4,682.9 Number of vaccines (thousands) 551.8 540.3 468.4