§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that his Department's present policy on protecting children from catching rubella, whooping cough and measles is adequate to prevent the occurrence of an epidemic in these diseases; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergIn the case of rubella, it is our policy to eradicate congenital rubella by protecting women of childbearing age from contracting the disease. Vaccination is therefore provided for girls as late as possible before they reach childbearing age. Following the publicity campaign in June 1979 uptake of vaccination against rubella has increased to 83 per cent.
On the advice of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation, which I have accepted, vaccination against whooping cough is offered to children up to 3 years of age, normally in the first year of life. The uptake of this vaccine is now 41 per cent. and every effort has to be made to improve this figure substantially. The joint committee on vaccination and immunisation repeated its advice last May that vaccination against whooping cough should be continued as part of a public policy and this advice was immediately transmitted to doctors and health authorities. On 12 January a health notice was sent to the authorities encouraging them to do what they could locally to increase the uptake of the vaccine. Uptake of vaccination against measles is also low—only 53 per cent.—and every effort should be made to improve on that figure.
Short of eradication of these diseases, total prevention of epidemics will be difficult to achieve. The objective must be to attain the highest possible immunisation rates for the groups at risk.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many babies are immunised against measles; and if he will break down the figures to show the numbers and percentages in each region;
(2) how many children under the age of four years are vaccinated against whooping cough; and if he will break down the figures to show the numbers and percentages in each region.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergI shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence exists that children catch rubella before they are 12 years old; if he will change his policy to allow both boys and girls to be vaccinated between the ages of 10 and 12 years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergRubella is a very mild disease and there are virtually no medical grounds for protecting boys against this infection. The real danger is to the foetus if a woman catches rubella during pregnancy. The advice of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation, which is kept under review, is designed to prevent congenital rubella by vaccinating girls before they reach childbearing age. Adult women who are not already protected are also encouraged to be vaccinated.