§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of hepatitis B have occurred within each health board area during each of the last five years; and what fatalities have resulted therefrom.
§ Mr. HanleyThe information is as follows: 139W
Eastern Northern Southern Western Area unknown Total 1986 6 2 1 1 3 13 1987 4 2 — 1 — 7 1988 2 1 — 2 — 5 1989 3 2 — 3 — 8 1990 2 — — 2 — 4 TOTAL 1986–90 17 7 1 9 3 37 There was one fatality in the Western board in 1987 and one in the Eastern board in 1989.
§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what progress is being made in promoting an immunisation programme against hepatitis B in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what groups have been identified as at risk from hepatitis B; and if he can provide figures, as a percentage of each group, for those who have been immunised.
§ Mr. HanleyGovernment policy is that only certain groups and individuals at high risk of contracting the disease should be immunised because of the low incidence of hepatitis B infection in the United Kingdom.
Details of the groups and individuals for whom vaccination against hepatitis B should be considered are given in paragraphs 13.3.5 to 13.3.7 of the United Kingdom Health Departments' 1990 handbook on "Immunisation against Infectious Disease," a copy of which has been placed in the Library. As those at high risk are identified and immunised locally by occupational health physicians or family doctors immunisation figures are not maintained centrally.