§ Mr. Viantasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that George Patrick Harvey, aged 17 years, a private in the General Service Corps, was vaccinated and inoculated on the 30th July; that this was stated in evidence at the inquest to be in accordance with the regulations; that Harvey was put on flax-picking the following Sunday, became ill and was admitted to Derby City Hospital on 14th August and died on 18th August, his death being said by a pathologist to be due directly to vaccination; that a month previously the unit had a soldier suffering in the same way following vaccination; and whether the practice of vaccinating and inoculating on the same day will now cease?
§ Sir J. GriggPrivate Harvey was vaccinated against small-pox and was inoculated with his second dose of typhoid vaccine on 30th July in accordance with regulations. A man is excused duty on the day on which he is inoculated and on the day after but unless he reports sick he is regarded as fit for duty thereafter. Private Harvey did not report sick and1232W there was therefore no reason why he should not have picked flax on 1st August. He reported sick on 14th August. It is confirmed that his death was due to post-vaccinal encephalitis. On 12th July, 1943, a soldier from the same unit was admitted to hospital on account of an illness which was thought to be due to post-vaccinal encephalitis, although it was impossible to make any definite diagnosis. This soldier recovered and returned to duty, and the lymph used in his case was not of the same batch as that used in the case of Private Harvey. No other cases of encephalitis occurred in Private Harvey's group. Post-vaccinal encephalitis will occur in a very small proportion of people vaccinated against small-pox, but simultaneous inoculation with typhoid vaccine is not a factor in determining its incidence, and I am advised that there is no reason for altering the present regulations.