§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for human health of the use of vaccines which in their early stage of manufacture had used bovine material prohibited for use in human food. [85492]
§ Ms Jowell[holding answer 26 May 1999]: The Committee on the Safety of Medicines (established under Section 4 of the Medicines Act 1968 to advise the licensing authority on the safety, quality and efficacy of medicinal products) established a working party in 1989 to consider the implications of bovine spongiform encephalopathy for all medicines, including those which used bovine material in their early stages of manufacture. An assessment was made by the working party of all licensed medicinal products using bovine material, including vaccines. No risk to human health has been established from use of bovine material in the manufacture of medicinal products, but as a precautionary measure, manufacturers were required to switch to use of bovine material sourced from outside the United Kingdom, and to comply with guidelines on the sourcing and processing of bovine material for use in the manufacture of medicinal products.