§ Mr. Wadeasked the Minister of Health whether he will make a further statement on the position regarding the use in this country of anti-poliomyelitis vaccine.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodYes, a member of the staff of the Medical Research Council has just returned from a visit to the United States where he has been studying the latest developments. No explanation36W for the Cutter vaccine incident has yet been found, but it is possible that certain batches contained live virus. I understand that the safety tests to be applied to the vaccine in the United States have been greatly multiplied, including a closer control of manufacturing processes.
Pending the introduction and application of similar measures here, the Medical Research Council has, I understand, postponed the start of any field trials. This will probably involve a postponement until the late autumn of this year, that is until after the normal epidemic season for the disease.
There are a number of questions arising out of the production and use of poliomyelitis vaccine in this country, and its possible export abroad, such as the determination of the age groups to which the vaccine shall be offered when mass immunisation is possible. The Secretary of State and I are asking the Central and Scottish Health Services Councils to advise us upon this and similar matters.