§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he plans any new schemes to increase parental compliance with the need for increased vaccination against measles, whooping cough and polio;
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Children vaccinated as percentage of the total born in the second previous year Health Authority and year Measles Diphtheria Whooping Cough Tetanus Polio Clwyd 1981 50.1 81.2 39.8 81.3 81.5 1982 53.6 82.8 45.6 82.8 83.3 1983 54.9 84.9 52.8 84.9 85.3 1984 57.1 83.9 59.7 84.0 84.1 1985 64.4 86.0 59.7 86.0 86.1 1986 71.4 87.1 62.7 87.2 87.3 East Dyfed 1981 27.9 86.1 27.3 87.9 81.2 1982 30.8 86.4 31.1 86.6 82.3 1983 45.1 83.7 33.6 83.7 83.8 1984 53.5 86.5 44.9 86.5 86.5 1985 63.3 87.7 47.0 87.7 87.9 1986 65.0 88.6 50.0 88.7 88.2 Gwent 1981 48.4 84.2 30.5 84.2 85.0 1982 51.7 85.3 38.0 85.5 86.2 1983 54.4 86.2 46.7 86.3 87.1 1984 57.4 85.9 53.9 85.9 86.2 1985 62.5 87.4 52.2 87.4 87.8 1986 64.6 87.2 54.1 87.2 87.7 Gwynedd 1981 33.9 80.6 27.6 80.8 80.5 (2) by what percentage the uptake of (a) measles, (b) triple vaccine, including whooping cough, and (c) poliomyelitis vaccination fails short of the target level of 90 per cent. in each of the health authorities in Wales for each of the last six years.
§ Mr. GristConsiderable efforts, including notably the designation of an appropriate individual in each district health authority to co-ordinate immunisation activity, have been made in recent years to achieve a significant improvement in the uptake rates for vaccination against a range of childhood infectious diseases. A public education campaign aimed both at raising awareness of the need for children to be protected against these illnesses and at motivating parents and health professionals alike has been promoted by Health Departments. There has been a marked improvement in the rates of vaccination against each of these diseases in all Welsh district health authorities, though some remain disappointingly low. Our officials will be considering with the Welsh Health Promotion Authority and district health authorities what further measures might be appropriate to achieve further improvement. In particular, consideration will be given to sensitive and appropriate methods of overcoming the resistance which continues to be evident in relation to the take-up of vaccination against both measles and whooping cough. The introduction of the new combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella later this year is expected to play a major part in this process.
Health authorities in Wales were advised of the target uptake rate of 90 per cent. by 1990 for measles immunisation only in August 1985. At the same time they were invited to establish their own individual targets for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and poliomyelitis. The tables set out the percentage uptake rates for immunisation against each of these diseases, by health authority, for the years 1981 to 1986 inclusive.
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Health Authority and year Measles Diphtheria Whooping Cough Tetanus Polio 1982 37.5 82.2 35.8 82.3 81.9 1983 37.1 79.8 44.5 80.0 80.0 1984 46.0 81.5 52.9 81.6 81.1 1985 58.4 86.2 55.8 86.2 85.6 1986 68.0 89.9 60.1 89.9 90.1 Mid Glamorgan 1981 28.6 76.1 18.6 76.2 76.8 1982 34.7 79.7 24.1 79.6 80.9 1983 36.6 80.1 31.7 80.1 80.7 1984 40.8 79.1 42.1 79.0 79.6 1985 48.5 81.2 42.3 81.2 81.5 1986 50.2 81.0 43.7 81.1 81.5 Pembrokeshire 1981 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1982 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1983 61.8 88.9 60.6 88.8 89.1 1984 64.0 85.8 64.0 85.8 85.7 1985 71.3 87.8 64.1 87.9 88.1 1986 76.7 87.4 64.8 87.5 87.5 Powys 1981 53.2 74.6 32.4 74.5 74.3 1982 56.4 91.8 46.9 92.1 93.2 1983 60.7 91.0 40.4 91.0 91.6 1984 64.9 91.1 63.3 91.3 91.4 1985 70.8 94.5 61.9 94.6 94.5 1986 76.9 95.9 65.1 95.5 96.5 South Glamorgan 1981 27.2 69.0 22.4 69.0 69.1 1982 34.7 77.8 31.6 77.8 78.4 1983 37.6 77.0 40.4 77.1 77.2 1984 42.2 75.2 47.6 75.2 74.9 1985 53.8 78.4 49.5 78.4 77.1 1986 55.6 79.0 52.0 79.0 79.1 West Glamorgan 1981 22.7 70.3 19.1 70.3 70.8 1982 25.9 75.2 24.4 75.2 75.4 1983 31.4 76.7 33.7 76.9 77.2 1984 35.9 76.3 43.0 76.3 76.3 1985 49.9 79.7 43.9 79.7 80.1 1986 56.5 84.0 51.3 84.0 85.0 Wales 1981 35.0 77.8 26.2 78.0 77.6 1982 39.3 81.4 32.7 81.5 81.7 1983 43.9 81.8 41.6 81.9 82.3 1984 48.3 81.3 49.9 81.3 81.1 1985 57.3 83.7 50.4 83.8 83.7 1986 61.3 84.9 53.3 84.9 85.2 n/a—Not available.