HC Deb 30 November 1993 vol 233 c450W
Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to include the Rubella vaccination alone among those girls who have not had the MMR vaccination in the targets for general practitioners.

Mr. Sackville

None. Rubella immunisation is recommended for schoolgirls aged between 10 and 14 years. The majority of these immunisations are given in schools as part of the schools health service. Where the vaccine is administered by a general practitioner a fee is paid. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to include rubella immunisation in the target scheme for general practitioners.

Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were immunisation rates for (i) BCG and (ii) rubella, which have not been part of the MMR programme, in each of the last five years.

Mr. Sackville

The information available is for numbers immunised in England for 1988–89 to 1991–92 as shown in the table. Data for 1992–93 are not yet available.

Number of Immunisations: 1988–89 to 1991–92 not part of the MMR programme
thousands
Year Single antigen rubella (schoolgirls) BCG vaccination (Children)
1988–89 229 409
1989–901 219 197
1990–91 199 479
1991–92 221 460
1 The school BCG programme was suspended in 1989 as there were insufficient supplies of BCG vaccine.

Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of targeted children receive the(a) DTP, (b) polio, (c) MMR and (d) HIB immunisation, by district health authority.

Mr. Sackville

Information available for DTP, polio and MMR for the financial year 1991–92 is shown in table 7 of statistical information on "Vaccination and Immunisation", a copy of which is available in the Library. No data are yet available about the take-up of Hib immunisation.