§ Keith VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many studies he has commissioned into the vaccine Prevenar. [142931]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Department has three studies on pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the United Kingdom that are addressing a number of issues.
894Wthe optimal schedule of this vaccine in the infants;the need for booster doses;the optimal schedule for catch-up for older children; andto assess the impact that introducing the pneumococcal vaccine to the routine immunisation schedule has on the level of protection given by the other childhood vaccines.These studies are part of an ongoing programme of research.