§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 25th January 1977, why figures showing what proportion of those who contract whooping cough have been immunised are not collected; if he will give an estimated figure for the proportion; and if he will give details of the way in which the efficacy of the whooping cough vaccine is assessed.
§ Mr. Ennals,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17th February 1977; Vol. 926, c. 307–310], gave the following information:
It would be both uneconomic and impracticable to ask general practitioners and other doctors to report all such cases. An estimate is possible on the basis of research studies, one of which by Miller and Fletcher—British Medical Journal of 17th January 1976—has shown that only 5 per r of 775 children admitted to hospital with whooping cough, and 40 per cent. of 7,317 cases treated at home, were fully vaccinated. The efficacy of whooping-cough vaccines has been assessed in trials conducted by the Public Health Laboratory Service by comparing attack rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated populations.
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§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to evaluate or ensure implementation of the recommendations of the joint committee in 1974 that when there are contra-indications or parental objections, the diphtheria/tetanus vaccine should be used.
§ Mr. Ennals,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17th February 1977; Vol. 926, c. 307–310], gave the following information:
The Chief Medical Officer's letter to doctors of 11th June 1974 (17/74) urged the use of diphtheria/tetanus vaccine where contra-indications or parental objections ruled out whooping-cough vaccine and the choice has been made clear in replies to the many letters received by my Department on this subject.