§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what considerations were taken into account by his Department in deciding the scope and quantity of the information prepared and distributed by local health trusts to parents prior to the administration to children of vaccinations to combat meningitis. [116978]
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§ Yvette CooperBefore public information materials on the new meningococcal Group C conjugate vaccine and the immunisation programme were produced, the Heath Education Authority (HEA) conducted research into what the public and health professionals felt the materials should contain. Focus groups, representing a cross section of the community, were convened and asked what information they wanted and who should get the information. They stated that the leaflet should give information on what meningitis is, what the new vaccine protects against, safety and efficacy, contraindications, the programme and its implementation and the need to continue to be aware and alert to the signs and symptoms of meningitis. The leaflet for parents covers these issues and received strong support from the focus groups; plans for its widespread distribution were also endorsed.
About 11 million copies of the parents' leaflet have been printed and it has been mailed to general practitioner surgeries, pharmacies and schools for every parent to receive and also made widely available through high street pharmacies and post offices. The leaflet is available in Welsh and 11 other languages and has been awarded the Plain English Crystal Mark. In addition, a fact sheet on the immunisation programme and the vaccine, which can be freely copied and made available, was sent to 30,000 health professionals and both the HEA's and Department of Health's websites include detailed information.