Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine

HC Deb 31 October 1988 vol 139 c489W

Mrs. Maureen Hicks

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he has taken to ensure that there is sufficient measles, mumps and rubella vaccine available to meet the demands resulting from the recent Government publicity campaign.

Mrs. Currie

There are about 1.2 million children eligible for this vaccine in the course of a year (those aged 15 months and those called up for pre-school diphtheria, tetanus and polio boosters).

By the start of the campaign 300,000 doses of MMR had been distributed to health authorities. That number has now been increased to 500,000 and by Christmas we shall have made more than 1 million doses available. That is several times more vaccine than is needed to immunise the children expected to come forward in that time.