§ Earl Howeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the research currently being conducted by the Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine in Dublin into developing a vaccine to combat measles, mumps and rubella relying on recombinant ribonucleic acid instead of live viruses holds out the prospect of fewer adverse reactions; and whether they will monitor the results of this research. [HL1018]
§ Lord WarnerThe work is funded by the European Union and will be carried out by Professor Atkins at Trinity College Dublin. The research involves using a novel genetic engineering technology to develop vaccine viruses which cannot replicate in human cells and therefore may in theory cause fewer adverse reactions than the current vaccines containing whole live attenuated viruses. However, this technology is very new and there is no guarantee that these novel vaccines will be as efficacious or as safe as the current products. The Department of Health will be asking Professor Atkins to provide regular updates on his work.