§ Mr. Wiseasked the Minister of Health what special arangements he is making this year for vaccination against influenza.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI do not at present think that any special arrangements are necessary. The decision whether or not vaccination is desirable in an individual case must rest with the medical practitioner. But from the information and expert advice that are available to me there is at present no evidence to suggest that there will be a major epidemic of influenza in this country during the coming winter. Moreover, it is not possible to identify in advance the particular strain of influenza virus that would cause such an epidemic if one should occur. Present circumstances are thus quite different from what they were in the autumn of 1957.