§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he requested the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination to follow up the reported adverse reactions to the whooping-cough vaccine; whether it did so at his request or independently; what action was taken in this follow up; and if he will make a statement on the results of such further investigations;
(2) if the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination took into account the study in the British Medical Journal by Miller and Fletcher of 8,000 cases of whooping-cough whether the joint committee has any published evidence from its survey of complications that might have led to permanent brain damage other than the two reported cases of encephalitis, of which one is of doubtful origin, and both of whom recovered.
§ Mr. Ennals, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 25th February; Vol. 926, c. 727–8], gave the following information:
As I stated in my reply to the supplementary question of the hon. Member for Wirral (Mr. Hunt) on 8th March—Vol. 927, c. 1218–21]—in view of the interest shown in the House and the country I have asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to prepare for publication a review of the evidence about whooping-cough vaccine and to set out in full the basis of its advice to me. I would prefer to await the report of the committee before going further into matters that would come within the ambit of its review.