§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children with congenital cytomegalovirus have required special schooling in each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. BoysonChildren requiring special educational treatment are classified on the basis of statutory categories of handicap. I regret that information is not available on the number of children in special schools whose handicap was caused by congenital cytomegalovirus.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department gives guidance to special schools on the management of cytomegalovirus-damaged children; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. BoysonThe degree and nature of the impairments suffered by cytomegalovirus-damaged children vary, and it must therefore be for the school doctor and other professional advisers to advise schools on the management of individual children in the circumstances of each case.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress is being made to develop a vaccine against cytomegalovirus; where this research is being undertaken; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William SheltonResearch is continuing in various centres on the possible development of a cytomegalovirus—CMV—vaccine. The trial at St. George's hospital medical school and King's college hospital of a potential CMV vaccine on a small number of renal transplant patients is still in progress, but I understand that no definite conclusions can yet be drawn.
Epidemiological studies on CMV infection in pregnancy are continuing both at St. Bartholomew's hospital and at the Charing Cross hospital medical school. These studies aim to provide further information on the risk of acquiring infection in pregnancy in various subgroups of the population, and to determine the incidence of congenital infection and its significance as a cause of mental and physical handicap. Such information is essential in considering the feasibility and desirability of prevention by means of a vaccine. In addition, a study at the University of Edinburgh medical school, to detect an antibody to CMV, is being supported by the Scottish Home and Health Department.
The Medical Research Council is carrying out studies of the molecular biology of CMV at its virology unit, Glasgow, and is giving grant support to basic studies on the structure of the virus at the centre for applied 57W microbiology and research. This research could be of considerable relevance to the development of a vaccine as well as a diagnostic procedure for human infection.
Through its sub-committee on cytomegalovirus, the committee on the development of vaccines and immunisation procedures—set up jointly by the MRC, the Health Departments and the Public Health Laboratory Service—maintains a regular review of progress in the CMV field.