§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider making immunisation against certain diseases a precondition of children attending school.
§ Mrs. CurrieSuch an idea would effectively make immunisation compulsory. It has not been public policy for immunisation to be compulsory, with the exception of smallpox, which ceased to be so in 1948. Some other European countries without compulsory vaccination achieve equally high immunisation rates as those which employ compulsion, and very high rates are already achieved in many parts of this country already.
However, we are about to launch a major publicity campaign to introduce a combined immunisation against measles, mumps and rubella, both in the second year of life and, for a limited period as a "catch-up" programme, at pre-school entry. Children should already be called at the latter stage for booster immunisations against diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis. We look to general practitioners, health authorities and parents for active support for this programme.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to ensure the levels of immunisation of children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and measles, including MMR, exceed 90 per cent, by 1990.
§ Mrs. WiseTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice on contra-indications is given to general practitioners and other doctors administering pertussis vaccine.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe Chief Medical Officer has written to all doctors in England about the current upsurge of measles cases, reminding them of the need to improve levels of immunisation. We are also releasing very shortly to all doctors and to members of the nursing profession involved in immunisation a revised edition of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation's memorandum "Immunisation Against Infectious Disease" which includes comprehensive expert advice on contraindications to all immunisations, including pertussis. I shall arrange for a copy of the memorandum to be placed in the Library when it is published. Health professionals and authorities are also being urged to increase their efforts to raise immunisation rates, particularly in relation to the introduction of a combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) on 1 October this year.
The level of immunisation and the efforts required to meet targets set for 1990 have been discussed at recent ministerial reviews of regional health authorities and family practitioner committees.