§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what investigation he has made into the statement of Sir Charles Stuart Harris, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination, that many of the cases of vaccine damage reported by doctors are 556W not likely to have any connection with vaccination.
§ Mr. Ennals,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 28th February 1977; Vol. 927, c. 64], gave the following information:
I believe that my hon. Friend is referring to the report in The Sunday Times of 13th February which quotes Sir Charles Stuart-Harris on reports of suspected reactions to vaccination. Although doctors are asked to report to the Committee on Safety of Medicines all serious or unusual suspected reactions, the committee has drawn attention in its guidelines to the fact that it is difficult to be certain in individual cases of a definite relationship between the administration of a medicinal product, including a vaccine, and a subsequent event which could have occurred from other causes.