HL Deb 18 September 2003 vol 652 cc192-3WA
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the comments by Lord Bach in the debate on Gulf War illness on 15 July (HL Deb, col. 836), whether any of the immunisations contained thimerosol. [HL4342]

Lord Bach

In the United Kingdom, thimerosol is more commonly known as thiomersal. According to the information leaflets provided with the vaccines to which the noble Lord refers, the anthrax vaccine and the pertussis vaccine manufactured in the UK contained thiomersal. No mention is made of thiomersal in the leaflets that accompanied the pertussis vaccine manufactured in France or the plague vaccine manufactured in the US. The position regarding cholera vaccine is being researched and I will write to the noble Lord when work is complete and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House. I should like to correct part of the statement I made on 15 July (HL Deb, col. 836). Pertussis vaccine was used as an adjuvant, not to protect "against pertussis".