§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many girls aged between 11 and 14 years there were in each area health authority in 1978, 1979 and the first half of 1980; and what percentage in each year were vaccinated against rubella.
§ Sir George YoungInformation about numbers in age groups by areas is not held centrally. As part of the rubella vaccination campaign, the Department asked area health 315W authorities to report the situation obtaining on 30 June 1980. Replies have not yet been received from all areas but, in a majority of the replies, the uptake of rubella vaccination among school girls is now over 80 per cent. of the target population.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of rubella were reported in 1978, 1979 and in 1980 up to the last date for which figures are available.
§ Sir George YoungRubella is not a notifiable disease, but returns to the Royal College of General Practitioners from a representative sample of practices show the national trend, expressed as a weekly rate per 100,000 of the population of all ages, to be as follows:
1978 13.4 1979 8.7 *1980 5.6 * Up to 11 November.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he has any plans to continue the campaign warning against the dangers of rubella; and if he will make a statement;
(2) which health authorities are undertaking rubella campaigns similar to that run by his Department in 1979; and whether any such campaign has been stopped because of financial constraints.
§ Sir George YoungI refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 3 June.—[Vol. 98.5, c.619–620.]
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the incidence of congenital rubella, by area health authority, in 1979.
§ Sir George YoungDetails of the position at 1 March 1980 were given in my reply to the hon. Member on 3
Numbers, and rates per 1,000 total births, of babies born with congenital malformations, by mother's age, 1977–79, England and Wales Mother's age 1977 1978 1979 Under 15* Number 9 6 7 Rate 38 27 29 15–19* Number 1229 1288 1311 Rate 22.4 22.8 22.0 20–29 Number 8102 8278 8571 Rate 21.0 20.9 20.5 30–34 Number 2132 2219 2549 Rate 210 19.5 20.1 35 and over Number 739 820 869 Rate 23.1 23.6 22.6 Age not stated Number 193 156 222 * Figures for mothers aged under16 and 16–19 are not available. Note: Figures are derived from a voluntary system of notifying congenital malformations observed at birth or up to seven days after birth and are therefore an incomplete measure of the total number of affected infants.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the total number of births to the following age groups: (a) under 16 years, (b) 16–19 years, (c) 20–29 years, (d) 30–35 years and (e) 35 years and over in 1978, 1979 and the first half of 1980 and what were the perinatal and infant mortality rates for each group.
316WJune.—[Vol. 985 c. 620.] A further seven cases had been notified to the national congenital rubella surveillance scheme by 30 June.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pregnancies were terminated in 1979 because of (a) maternal rubella disease, (b) maternal rubella contact and (c) maternal rubella immunisation.
§ Sir George YoungThe figures for England and. Wales are (a) 431; (b) 144; (c) 156.