§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware than in 1931 his Department issued a report in which the pros and cons of the abolition of the present vaccination laws were discussed; that through the report the question of encephalitis following vaccination occupied a prominent place; and that, on page 58 of the report, a statement was made that it would have to be by persuasion and voluntary acceptance for vaccination of the individual at several stages of life could be secured; and whether he will consider making vaccination a voluntary function determined by a grown-up individual?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREMy right hon. Friend is aware of the facts referred to in the first two parts of the question, but as regards the third part he would point out that the statement on page 58 of the report which the hon. Member quotes had reference to the previous statement that a single one-mark vaccination should be regarded not as an end in itself, but as a proceeding which the individual should be advised and assisted to adopt at several stages of life with a view to maintaining a reasonably high degree of immunity at all times. As regards the last part, my right hon. Friend would refer the hon. Member to the right of a parent to make a statutory declaration of conscientious objection to the vaccination of his child. My right hon. Friend could not consider the introduction of further legislation on this subject at the present time.
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§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health when vaccination against smallpox was first in practice in this country; and whether any reports as to the results exist for the following 20 years?
§ Sir K. WOODThe practice of vaccination against smallpox in this country may be said to have commenced at the end of the 18th century. I am unaware of any reports comparable to those of the present day, but in 1807 the Royal College of Physicians, after an examination of the results of several hundred thousand cases, reported to Parliament that
the security derived from vaccination against the smallpox, if not absolutely perfect, is as nearly so as can perhaps be expected from any human discovery.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health the nature of the Rolleston Committee which resulted in the change in the degree or number of marks for vaccination in 1929; and why public vaccinators were instructed to incise once only?
§ Sir K. WOODThe considerations which led the committee to recommend a change in the degree and number of marks for vaccination are set out on pages 81et seq of their 1928 report. The general purport is that the probable loss of duration of individual immunity resulting from the substitution of a single for multiple insertions would be compensated for by the readier acceptance of vaccination and revaccination, and that this, would yield a higher proportion of protected individuals in the whole population. The present instruction to public vaccinators to vaccinate in one insertion only, except where additional protection is required, is based on the recommendations of the committee.