§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will make a statement about tuberculosis among immigrants.
§ Dr. OwenNumbers of notified cases of tuberculosis have been steadily declining in recent years, but studies undertaken by the British Thoracic and Tuberculosis 843W Association have demonstrated a continuing high incidence among immigrant populations, notably from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Africa.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recently reviewed progress in the control of tuberculosis and reaffirmed its advice that children born into immigrant communities in which there is a high incidence of tuberculosis should normally be offered vaccination at birth. The committee also stressed the need to offer vaccination to all such immigrant children as soon as practicable after entry and to intensify case-finding procedures and contact examination for all immigrants already in Britain. This advice was circulated to doctors by the Chief Medical Officer on 9th October 1975.