HC Deb 23 March 1982 vol 20 cc308-9W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many terminations of pregnancy there were due to maternal contact with rubella in each of the following categories (a) rubella disease, (b) rubella contact and (c) rubella immunisation for each of the years 1977 to 1981.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

The available information is as follows:

Legal abortions due to maternal contact with rubella residents of England and Wales, 1977–1980
Year
1977 1978 1979 1980
Rubella disease 118 659 431 153
Rubella contact 66 171 144 47
Rubella immunisation 37 66 156 101
Total 221 896 731 301

Similar information for 1981 should be available by the end of 1982.

Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the latest figures available from the Public Health Laboratory Service on the incidence of rubella; and how these figures compare with the last five years.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

During 1981 there were 509 isolations of rubella virus reported to the Public Health Laboratory Service by laboratories in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This figure is provisional. Figures for the last five years are as follows:

1976 728
1977 668
1978 3,666
1979 2,604
1980 648

Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many schoolgirls aged 14 years and what percentage of the total number of girls of that age were vaccinated against rubella in each education authority for each year from 1971 to 1981.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Information is not available in the form requested, but the percentage of girls vaccinated by the age of 14 years in England in the years 1971–80 are as follows. Figures for 1981 are not yet available.

1971 45
1972 78
1973 87
1974 72
1975 67
1976 68
1977 69
1978 74
1979 78
1980 84