§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list coverage rates of immunisations which are given to school age children and infants. [134771]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonInformation about the childhood immunisation programme, which includes children immunised by their second birthday, and from 1999–2000 by their fifth birthday, is derived from the COVER (Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly) system and collected by the Health Protection Agency.
690WInformation about numbers of immunisations of older school children is collected by the Department of Health from service providers and does not allow for the calculation of coverage rates because appropriate population denominators are not available.
Information about childhood immunisations from both the sources mentioned is published annually in Departmental statistical bulletins. The latest bulletin, "NHS Immunisation Statistics, England: 2002–03", is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0316.htm.