HC Deb 07 March 1985 vol 74 cc601-2W
Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated incidence of serious brain damage following measles vaccination.

Mr. John Patten

Serious neurological reaction to measles vaccine has been estimated to occur in 1 in 87,000 injections. Nearly all the children suffering a serious reaction recover fully with no permanent damage as a result.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases he is aware of when parents of brain damaged children have been precluded from claiming under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act, because they were outside the time limit set by the Act; and if he will take steps to investigate how common a problem this is, and the nature of the reasons for parents not applying earlier.

Mr. John Patten

The time limits set by the Act first came into effect on 9 May 1984. Since then claims have had to be made within six years of the date of vaccination or the disabled person's second birthday. To date 16 claims have been disallowed because they were not made within these time limits.

The time limits have been explained in the current and all previous editions of the Department's leaflet HB3, entitled "Payment for Severe Vaccine Damage," and the 9 May time limit was publicised in February 1984 issue of the Department's periodical bulletin "Social Security Notes," which is circulated widely among voluntary organisations. I explained the time limits in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) on 10 April 1984 at column 208.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action his Department has taken to ensure that those parents whose children suffer brain damage after measles vaccination are made aware of the existence of the vaccine damage payments scheme and the possibility that their child may be entitled to a payment under the Act.

Mr. John Patten

On publicity generally I refer the right hon. Member to my reply today to his question about our advice to health authorities on this subject. The scheme applies equally to vaccination against a number of diseases. No additional steps have been taken specifically in relation to measles vaccination.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice his Department has given to health authorities and the medical profession regarding informing parents of brain damaged children of the vaccine damage payments scheme, when medical opinion is that vaccination is a possible cause of the brain damage.

Mr. John Patten

The Department issued health notice (79)7 and local authority social services letter (79)1 in January 1979 informing health and local authorities of the introduction of the scheme and asking them to bring it to the notice of staff and others working with possible beneficiaries so that they could ensure that those entitled to submit claims were informed of the arrangements. The notice and letter are still current. The Department tries to ensure that its leaflet on the scheme is widely available in places where potential claimants are likely to seek help including social services departments, hospitals, citizens advice bureaux and voluntary organisations. The readership of the Department's periodical bulletin, "Social Security Notes", which is widely circulated among voluntary organisations, was also reminded of the scheme when the introduction of the time limits set by the Act was publicised in the February 1984 issue.