HC Deb 17 June 1998 vol 314 cc231-2W
Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice he has given to Her Majesty's forces personnel about their rights in the event that, having given written consent for vaccination against anthrax, they subsequently suffer illness directly related to the vaccine.[34515]

Mr. George Robertson

British Service personnel who were involved in the Gulf conflict have the same entitlement to claim compensation for negligence from the Ministry of Defence as any civilian employee has to claim against his or her employer. The fact that a Service person has consented to receive anthrax vaccination in no way affects that right; in view of this, no advice has been given to UK Service personnel about their rights were they to suffer illness directly related to the current programme of immunisation against anthrax.

Year of award
1995 1996 1997 1998
Distributing body No. of awards Value(£) No. of awards Value(£) No. of awards Value(£) No. of awards Value(£) Total No. of awards Total(£)
Sport 0 0 1 231,581 1 8,600 0 0 2 240,181
Heritage 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 242,000 2 242,000
Charities 1 3,000 2 194,579 2 352,899 1 337,739 6 713,097

All UK Service personnel serving in the Gulf region have been provided with comprehensive information concerning anthrax and the UK licensed anthrax vaccine. A package of documentation has been prepared which includes a description of the symptoms of the disease and an explanation that a vaccine exists to protect against it. This also explains that many doses of the vaccine are administered in the UK each year to a wide variety of people who may be exposed to the disease as a consequence of their occupations; and that such people include those who work in the tannery, leather and wool industries as well as those persons who may have direct contact with infected animals, such as veterinary surgeons. The documentation also explains the process of vaccination and its protective qualities, and make clear that in the past 21 years only minor side effects from the use of this vaccine have been reported in a small number of people.

In addition, all Service personnel who are being offered anthrax immunisation are given an oral briefing on the vaccine by medical officers. Records have been kept of the individuals who received the oral briefing and the package of documentation, and of their subsequent decision whether to be vaccinated.