§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of people who have received vaccination against group C meningitis in Shrewsbury and Atcham in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [156499]
§ Yvette CooperThe new meningitis C vaccine became available in autumn 1999 and was introduced into the routine childhood immunisation programme given at age two, three and four months in November 1999. A 'catch-up' campaign to offer vaccine to all those under the age of 18 years not covered by the routine programme was also undertaken from that date.
Information on the number of children immunised during the catch-up campaign will be available shortly and will be published in the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre's "Communicable Disease Report". The most recent coverage figures by regional health authority for the routine meningitis C programme were 605W published in the "Communicable Disease Report" (Vol.11, No. 12, 22 March 2001). In Shropshire health authority area—which includes Shrewsbury and Atcham—an estimated 1,780 children had received the vaccine through the routine programme due at two, three and four months by December 2000.