§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further steps he has taken, in consultation with the vaccine manufacturers, to ensure the safety of whooping cough vaccine.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinImprovements in the safety of whooping cough vaccine will depend upon a number of factors including careful attention to the advice on its use, especially the contra-indications, and the further development of the vaccine. My Department is financing research at the Centre for Applied Microbiological Research to that end.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for compensation for vaccine damage, which have been accepted by the national unit at Blackpool, relate to whooping cough vaccine.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinOf the awards so far made 226 relate to vaccinations where the vaccine consisted of, or included, whooping cough vaccine.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what stage has been reached in the investigations by the Committee on Safety of Medicines into reactions to whooping cough vaccine; and when and where the results will be published.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinThe Committee on Safety of Medicines will be considering on 13 December an advance draft report598W from a panel it set up under the chairmanship of Dr. T. W. Meade to consider information on pertussis—whooping cough—vaccine collected by the Association of Parents of Vaccine Damaged Children and others, relating to children vacinated in the years 1970 to 1974. The final version of the report will be considered by the Committee on Safety of Medicines in the new year.
I shall arrange for the report of the panel, together with the views of the Committee on Safety of Medicines then expressed on the report, to be published when I have received them.