HL Deb 16 December 1998 vol 595 c156WA
Lord Clement-Jones

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many case reports from parents of adverse reaction by their children to vaccines the Medicines Control Agency has received; and [HL292]

Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman on 7 December (WA 66), when they anticipate that the work of:

  1. (a) the Medicines Control Agency Working Group evaluating reports of children where parents have suspected adverse effects following the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine; and
  2. (b) the MCA's study of the possible association between the MMR vaccine and autism;
will be completed and published. [HL295]

Baroness Hayman

By 9 December 1998 the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) had received 531 reports from parents of adverse reactions to vaccines given to children. The working group has made considerable progress in assessing reports for which medical documentation is available, and its report is expected next year.

We understand that the MCA-sponsored study of autism in relation to measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been completed and that the authors will shortly submit this work for publication in the medical literature.