BCG Vaccination (Hansard, 30 March 1994)

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's target for coverage of BCG vaccination; and if she will list those district health authorities and regional health authorities not reaching those targets.
886W

§ Mr. Sackville
There is no target for coverage of BCG immunisation. The Government recommend that BCG be offered to all school children between the ages of 10 and 14 years and also to new immigrants from countries with a high prevalence of the disease; to their newly born children; and to certain other higher risk groups which are listed in "Immunisation against infectious disease", copies of which are available in the Library. About 75 per cent. of school children are immunised each year whilst a further 5 to 7 per cent. are already tuberculin positive and, therefore, do not require immunisation.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to include the BCG vaccination in the targets for general practitioners.

§ Mr. Sackville
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 5 November 1993 at column536.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health which districts no longer carry out routine school programmes for BCG vaccination; how many children were vaccinated for BCG in each of the last five years; and what percentage of children have had BCG vaccination by the target date in each of the last five years.

§ Mr. Sackville
We understand that 15 health authorities have discontinued the school's BCG immunisation programme but details are not available centrally.
The number of children immunised with BCG in the last five years is hown in the table:

Children given BCG vaccination by age in the years 1988–89 to 1992–93

Number of vaccinations (thousands)

Total Under 1 1–9 10–13 14–15

1988–89 404.0 31.3 4.6 269.1 99.0

¹1989–90 194.5 31.4 4.6 120.8 37.7

1990–91 472.5 36.7 5.5 300.0 130.3

1991–92 453.6 34.5 6.7 294.5 117.9

1992–93 393.6 43.9 4.1 262.8 82.8

¹The school BCG programme was suspended in 1989 as there were insufficient supplies of BCG vaccine.

The percentage of children which have had BCG immunisation in each of the last five years is not available.

§ Ms Primarolo
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's policy on BCG immunisation of neonates; how many district health authorities and regional health authorities are without policies in BCG immunisation of neonates; and how many offer BCG immunisation of neonates.

§ Mr. Sackville
The Government's policy on the BCG—Bacille-Calmette-Guérin—immunisation of neonates is as set out in the memorandum, "Immunisation against infectious disease" copies of which are available in the Library. It is recommended that all babies born to immigrants to the United Kingdom who have come from 887W countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis are immunised with BCG. Eighty per cent. of districts, including 14 of the 15 of those who have stopped the schools immunisation programme, offer BCG to neonates. Thirty-one districts do not offer BCG to neonates.

Children given BCG vaccination by age in the years 1988–89 to 1992–93
	Number of vaccinations (thousands)
	Total	Under 1	1–9	10–13	14–15
1988–89	404.0	31.3	4.6	269.1	99.0
¹1989–90	194.5	31.4	4.6	120.8	37.7
1990–91	472.5	36.7	5.5	300.0	130.3
1991–92	453.6	34.5	6.7	294.5	117.9
1992–93	393.6	43.9	4.1	262.8	82.8
¹The school BCG programme was suspended in 1989 as there were insufficient supplies of BCG vaccine.