§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities actively offer vaccination against hepatitis B for those identified as belonging to high risk groups.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not held centrally.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to include refuse collectors among the high risk groups for whom vaccination against the hepatitis B virus is recommended.
§ Mr. FreemanIt is not our intention to do so.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department has issued to sexually transmitted diseases clinics regarding vaccination of patients and staff against the hepatitis B virus.
§ Mr. FreemanThe Department has issued the following advice on hepatitis B vaccination to health authorities whose responsibilities include genito-urinary medicine clinics:
- (i) Chief Medical Officer's letter 1982—CM0(82)13;
- (ii) Executive letter 1988—EL(88)P/125.
Advice on hepatitis B and other vaccinations is also contained in the memorandum "Immunisation against Infectious Disease" which is prepared for the health departments by the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI). It is issued free to all doctors, including consultants in charge of GUM clinics.
The Health Education Authority publishes a booklet "Guide to A Healthy Sex Life" which includes information on hepatitis B vaccination. The authority is reviewing this and other publications on sexually transmitted diseases.
474WCopies of all these documents are available in the Library.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with organisations representing medical staff regarding the risks of contracting the hepatitis B virus and the availability of vaccination.
§ Mr. FreemanNo such discussions have been held.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the number of drug addicts who have been vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not held centrally.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the prevalence of the practice of offering the hepatitis B vaccine after an incident in which the patient may have contracted the virus; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanReports on needlestick or other injuries where hepatitis immunoglobulin has been given are collated by the PHLS communicable disease surveillance centre. The reports for 1989 (provisional data) show that hepatitis B vaccination was recommended in 62 per cent., not recommended in 11 per cent. and in 27 per cent. this information was not recorded on the reporting form.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has regarding incidents in which refuse collectors have been tested for infection by the hepatitis B virus after being wounded by discarded needles in refuse.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not held centrally.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that drug addicts dispose of used needles in a safe manner.
§ Mr. FreemanThe Department of Health has made over £14 million available to health authorities in 1989–90 to enable drug services to expand and develop in such a way as to make contact with more drug misusers in order to offer help and advice on safer behaviour.
Money from this allocation is used to fund exchange schemes, which encourage drug misusers to return their used equipment when obtaining sterile needles and syringes. There are about 120 such schemes in England.
In addition, we are monitoring arrangements in Scotland whereby drug misusers are provided with personal sharps containers for the return of used equipment to a safe disposal facility. Some English drug services are also issuing personal containers. We know of some other experimental disposal facilities such as "hole in the wall" sharps boxes, deliberately located in areas where needles and syringes are discarded.