§ 8. Mr. Jannerasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a public health inspector died recently of polio encephalitis after having been refused vaccination against this disease; and if he will place amongst the priorities for anti-polio vaccination doctors, nurses and public health officials whose work brings them into contact with polio cases.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI am aware of the case.
Advice on priorities for vaccination is given by a committee set up by the Central and Scottish Health Services Councils. Vaccination is already available to hospital staff treating poliomyelitis cases in the infectious stage and will shortly be offered to general medical practitioners and to ambulance staff. Public health inspectors are not at present included, but the extension of the priority arrangements to new groups is kept under frequent review.