§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what childhood vaccinations have been withdrawn on safety grounds since childhood vaccinations were started. [122159]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 15 May 2000]: The childhood vaccination programme predates the modern licensing system for medicines. Comprehensive records are not available for this entire period.
In the last decade no vaccines have had their licences withdrawn owing to safety issues. However, in September 1992, following concerns of a possible association between the Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccines which contained the Urabe mumps vaccine strain, and aseptic meningitis, all vaccines containing this strain were replaced in the vaccination programme. Vaccines containing this strain were recalled and no further vaccine has been supplied to the National Health Service.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence his Department has evaluated on a causal link between routine vaccination and brain-damage. [122911]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 19 May 2000]: The Medicines Control Agency and Committee on Safety of Medicines continuously monitor the safety, quality and efficacy of all medicines including vaccines. For vaccinations, the independent expert advisory committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation also considers issues relating to vaccination policy, including safety and efficacy. The evidence evaluated includes data from spontaneous reports from the yellow card scheme, the published medical literature, pre- and post-marketing clinical trials and epidemiological studies.
Evidence does not support a causal association between any of the recommended childhood vaccines and long-term damage other than the risk of vaccine—associated paralytic polio which occurs in one out of approximately every million immunisations.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have suffered brain damage following a routine vaccination in each year since 1990; and if he will break this figure down by the vaccine given in each case. [124763]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 7 June 2000]: Since 1990, there has been one case of brain damage and one case of mental handicap reported to the Medicines Control Agency/Committee on Safety of Medicines following vaccination in United Kingdom children aged 12 years or under.
49WThe case of brain damage was reported in association with measles, mumps and rubella in 1996. The case of mental handicap was reported in 1995 following polio immunisation.
Spontaneous reports are of suspected adverse drug reactions: they do not necessarily mean that the drug is the cause of the reaction.
§ Ms OsborneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authority areas in the UK where the MMR vaccine can be administered in single doses. [125804]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 13 June 2000]: Delivery of Measles, Mumps and Rubella as three separate vaccines has never been recommended in the UK. Single antigen measles and mumps vaccines are not licensed in the UK. The importation of unlicensed single antigen measles and mumps vaccines is restricted by Medicines Control Agency under the Medicines Act. As a result the Department is not aware of any health authority which either recommends or gives MMR as three separate vaccines.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the procedures for trials of new vaccines. [126256]
§ Yvette CooperBefore new vaccines can be studied in human subjects in the United Kingdom, approval should be sought from the Medicines Control Agency by submitting relevant scientific data to the Agency for evaluation. Applicants are obliged to report any serious unexpected adverse reaction associated with the administration of the product.