§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of school leavers in England have been vaccinated against tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement; [1579]
(2) at what age children are offered vaccination against tuberculosis in schools; [1563]
(3) if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on vaccination against tuberculosis. [1564]
§ Mr. HoramThe Government recommend that BCG vaccine to protect against tuberculosis should be routinely offered to all school children between the ages of 10 and 14 years. This policy is based on the recommendation of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation, which advises the UK health departments on immunisation. The committee has reviewed this recommendation and advised that the schools 499W immunisation programme should continue. Ministers have endorsed this and a statement to this effect was made in the House, on 4 July 1996, Official Report, column 493; health authorities were advised of this recommendation in July 1996. In addition, immunisation continues to be offered to certain high-risk groups outside the routine school programme, including babies born to parents from countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis. It is estimated that over the two years 1994–95 and 1995–96 around 73 per cent. of school leavers had been given a BCG vaccination.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many registered homeless people have died from tuberculosis in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;[1565]
(2) how many cases of tuberculosis among the registered homeless have been diagnosed in England in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement; [1577]
(3) how many people have died from tuberculosis in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement; [1558]
(4) how many cases of tuberculosis have been diagnosed in England in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make statement. [1578]
§ Mr. HoramThe figures are in the following table.
Year Notifications of number of cases of all tuberculosis (excluding chemoprophylaxis) in England1 Number of deaths due to tuberculosis2 in the United Kingdom1 1986 5,743 538 1987 4,853 487 1988 4,960 535 1989 5,223 512 1990 5,010 441 1991 5,270 485 1992 5,597 475 19933 5,721 494 19943 5,409 475 1995 5,426 4501 Source:
1Office of National Statistics.
2International Classification of Diseases (9th Revision), codes 010–018
3England and Wales figures for 1993 and 1994 represent the number of deaths occurring in each year. All the other figures are the number of deaths registered in the year. Also, new procedures for coding cause of death in England and Wales from 1993 mean that figures for 1993 onwards may not he exactly comparable with earlier years.
4Provisional.
ONS statistics on infectious diseases do not identify registered homeless people separately. National data on rates of tuberculosis infection amongst homeless people are not available.
The United Kingdom has an excellent record of tuberculosis control. The Government are strengthening policies to protect the health of the nation against this disease.
Ministers established an interdepartmental working group on tuberculosis with the remit to consider policies for tuberculosis control in the UK and to recommend best 500W practice. The first two reports of the group, one of which deals with tuberculosis and homeless people, have been published and generally welcomed as important steps towards improvements in the control of tuberculosis in the UK.
The Government have also taken several initiatives to improve the access of homeless people to health care, including funding of primary health care projects.