§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health on what clinical grounds parents seeking separate vaccinations for their children are being advised to give rubella vaccination first. [7212]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 15 October 2001]The information requested is not available centrally in the format requested.
The Department, acting on the advice of its independent expert advisory committees and on the overwhelming view of experts from around the world, does not recommend or endorse the use of separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines instead of MMR. The Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer wrote to all doctors on 9 March 2001 reiterating their advice that
Children should not be given separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines in place of MMR, since there is no evidence of benefit and a clear risk of harm from such a practice".We are not aware of any medical condition that would make the use of separate vaccines preferable to the use of MMR.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in each of the last five years were given separate vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella. [7213]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 15 October 2001]The information requested is not available centrally.