§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what has been the annual number of adverse reactions to vaccines reported through the yellow card system since it was first introduced; and whether his department has taken any steps to assess the approximate proportion of adverse reactions that are reported;
(2) whether any steps were taken by his Department, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, or the Committee on Safety of Medicines, 498W further to investigate any of the reported adverse reactions to vaccines; and if he will specify what action was taken by whom;
(3) if he will further elucidate his statement on the Official Report of 20th May 1976, that it was not possible to make reliable estimates of the overall incidence of adverse reactions to vaccines generally.
§ Mr. Ennals,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19th January 1977, Vol. 924, c. 251–3], gave the following information:
On average, about 150 reports of suspected adverse reactions to vaccines have been received by the Committee on Safety of Medicines each year since the introduction of the yellow card system in 1964. They are not necessarily serious or lasting. Minor reactions to vaccines are common, and it is believed that they are under reported. Research studies currently in progress are expected to shed light on the incidence of the more serious adverse reactions. In doing so, they will, it is hoped, make more reliable estimates of incidence possible. Reported adverse reactions to vaccinations are studied by the Adverse Reactions Sub-Committee of the Committee on Safety of Medicines and, anonymously, by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation from the point of view of public policy programmes.