§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the vaccine damage payments unit of his Department abandoned its practice of assessing tribunal awards in terms of which vaccine it thought responsible; what steps he is taking to categorise incidence of vaccine damage and the acceptance and rejection of claims; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RossiThere has been no change in the categories under which information is kept about vaccine damage payment claims. Distinction is made between awards and disallowances by the Secretary of State and by each vaccine damage tribunal and between the vaccines or combinations of vaccines thought responsible.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many vaccine damage payments have been awarded for damage from a vaccine that included the pertussis element for each year for which figures are available; and if he will express the number in each case as a percentage of the numbers receiving vaccination against pertussis.
§ Mr. Rossithe information is as follows:
420W
Year of vaccination Number of vaccine damage payments in respect of vaccinations with a pertussis element Number of vaccine damage payments in (2) as a percentage of completed primary courses of vaccination with a pertussis element* (1) (2) (3) 1948 2 — 1949 2 — 1950 5 — 1951 6 — 1952 4 — 1953 9 — 1954 5 — 1955 12 — 1956 10 — 1957 10 — 1958 8 0.001 1959 16 0.003 1960 28 0.004 1961 28 0.004 1962 28 0.004 1963 37 0.005 1964 30 0.004 1965 31 0.004 1966 35 0.004
Year of vaccination Number of vaccine damage payments in respect of vaccinations with a pertussis element Number of vaccine damage payments in (2) as a percentage of completed primary courses of vaccination with a pertussis element* (1) (2) (3) 1967 22 0.003 1968 37 0.005 1969 24 0.005 1970 32 0.005 1971 25 0.003 1972 27 0.004 1973 31 0.005 1974 17 0.003 1975 3 0.001 1976 8 0.003 1977 7 0.003 1978 5 0.002 1979 5 0.002 1980 2 0.001 1981 1 0.000 * Information on completed courses of vaccination will a pertussis element was not collected before 1958.