§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which EU countries allow the use of single-dose vaccines for measles and mumps; and if he will make a statement about the use of such vaccines in the UK. [116492]
§ Yvette CooperMeasles, mumps and rubella vaccine is recommended in all European Union countries, none recommend the use of single vaccines. The availability of single dose vaccines is a matter for individual countries.
To protect public health, United Kingdom medicines legislation restricts the importation of all unlicensed medicines, including single-dose vaccines. Unlicensed medicines may be imported only if there is no licensed medicine available or suitable for the individual patient concerned, and the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) does not object on specific grounds of safety or efficacy. In the case of unlicensed single vaccines, the MCA will object to their import unless a prescribing doctor has decided that the patient has a known medical condition that makes the licensed product (MMR) unsuitable. In addition the MCA objects to the import of the single dose mumps vaccine (Rubini strain) because of concerns about its efficacy.
There is no evidence that the use of single vaccines benefits children and good reasons exist why their use may put children at significant disadvantage.