§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list research projects into(a) vaccination and (b) other preventive measures against necrotising fasciitis in British hospitals and universities in the past 10 years; and what consultations she has had with the chief medical officer of health and the Medical Research Council concerning their assessment and funding.
§ Mr. Sackville[holding answer 30 June 1994]: Necrotising fasciitis is a very rare condition which may be caused by a large number of different infections. For this reason, it is not feasible to develop a single vaccine against necrotising fasciitis. It is difficult to envisage the circumstances in which a vaccine might be useful against such a rare condition, which is associated with varying aetiological organisms.
There is a large body of research on the prevention of hospital-acquired infection of all types, which would include prevention of infections that might cause post-operative necrotising fasciitis.
There is considerable general research into infection with group A streptococci, the organism which was the cause of the recent cases of necrotising fasciitis in Gloucestershire.
739WMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly consults the Chief Medical Officer and others about research matters.
For details of Medical Research Council research into necrotising fasciitis, I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 14 June, Official Report, column 434.
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Ulster Democratic Unionist Party(UDUP) Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Alliance Party 25 September 1993 1 October 1993 22 September 1993 15 September 1993 11 November 1993 22 October 1993 21 October 1993 20 October 1993 13 January 1994 — 24 January 1994 18 January 1994 7 March 1994 — 12 April 1994 24 February 1994 14 April 1994 — — — I have also attended meetings between the Prime Minister and the UDUP on 9 November 1993 and 21 March 1994, and between my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State and the Alliance party on 22 March 1994.