§ Mr. George OsborneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the availability of the single dose mumps vaccine in the UK; [76297]
(2) whether the decision to remove the licence from the single mumps vaccine was taken at a ministerial level; and if he will make a statement. [77094]
§ Ms BlearsSingle mumps vaccine is licensed in the United Kingdom, Mumpsvax, Aventis Pasteur MSD, but the marketing authorisation holder does not manufacture this vaccine for the UK market. The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) has taken no regulatory action against the marketing authorisation for this vaccine and the production and marketing of the vaccine is a matter for the company holding the marketing authorisation.
Importation of unlicensed single mumps vaccine is permitted in accordance with medicines legislation when it is supplied in response to a doctor's prescription, issued on his personal responsibility, to meet the special needs of an individual patient. The MCA will, however, object to importation of an unlicensed mumps vaccine if it has concerns over the safety or quality of the vaccine.
The Government recommend that children are vaccinated with the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, as the safest way for parents to protect their children against these potentially very serious diseases, and has never recommended single mumps vaccine to be given routinely in the UK.