HC Deb 13 May 1993 vol 224 cc566-7W
Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were born with congenital rubella syndrome in each year since 1979.

Mr. Sackville

The number of cases of confirmed or suspected congenital rubella reported to the national congenital rubella surveillance programme is shown in the table:

Year of birth Registered by January 1993
1979 not available
1980 36
1981 16
1982 38
1983 68
1984 52
1985 24
1986 29
1987 40
1988 22
1989 13
1990 11
1991 2
1992 16
1 Includes a set of triplets.

Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the number of district health authorities which do not provide a comprehensive immunisation service for rubella in schools for girls aged 10 to 14 years.

Ms Estelle Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those health authorities which have stopped their programmes of rubella injections at school premises, together with the year in which the programme ceased.

Mr. Sackville

The Government policy is that all girls between their 10th and 14th birthdays should be immunised with single antigen rubella vaccine unless there is documented evidence that they have received measles, mumps and rubella vaccine already. It is for individual health authorities to decide how best to implement this policy; most currently do so through a schools immunisation programme.

The Department of Health does not routinely collect information about local arrangements. However, the Public Health Laboratory Service is to undertake a survey shortly which will establish what arrangements are in place.