§ Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the conditions that have to be met before a decision is taken to vaccinate(a) children in a primary school and (b) students living in halls of residence against the C strain of meningitis. [13014]
§ Mr. HoramGuidelines on the control of meningococcal infection, including the use of antibiotics and vaccine, have been issued by the public health Laboratory Service since 1989. These are regularly updated and published and copies are sent to all directors of public health and consultants in communicable disease control. The most recent guidelines on the control of meningococcal disease were issued on 8 December 1995 in the PHLS's "Communicable Disease Report Review"; additional guidance on the management of clusters of meningococcal disease was included in a letter sent to all doctors from the Chief Medical Officer on 3 January and published in the CDR on 10 January, which was also sent to directors of public health and consultants in communicable disease control. These publications have been placed in the Library. Those with local expertise must make decisions about the detailed arrangements for the handling of outbreaks of meningococcal infection within these guidelines.
§ Mr. JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of vaccination programmes to protect against type C meningitis that were conducted in (i) 1976, (ii) 1977, (iii) 1978, (iv) 1979, (v) 1994 (vi) 1995 and (vii) 1996. [13016]
§ Mr. HoramThese data been collected for the period since April 1995 only. We are aware of three community and 10 schools meningococcal immunisation programmes in the period 1 April 1995 to 31 March 1996. Data are collected each March for the preceding full year.