§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence has been presented to his Department concerning health risks in relation to thimerosal. [184097]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe only vaccine currently used in the United Kingdom routine childhood immunisation programme that contains a mercury compound is the diphtheria, tetanus and whole cell pertussis (DTwP) vaccine which is given combined with haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine. The mercury is present as ethylmercury in the excipient thiomersal (also known as thimerosal). As with all medicinal products, vaccine safety is continually monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) with advice from the independent expert advisory body, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). The MHRA and CSM have thoroughly reviewed the safety of mercury-containing vaccines, including alleged links with neurodevelopmental disorders, on a number of occasions.
In 2001, the CSM conducted major review of the available evidence and has since then considered new data as it has emerged. In 2003, following a review of further studies, including two UK studies involving more than 100,000 children, CSM advice was placed on the MHRA website at http: //medicines.mhra.gov.uk. Further studies from Denmark involving almost half a million children and a study from the United States have also specifically investigated the suggested link between mercury-containing vaccines and autism. None of these studies have found any evidence of a causal association with autism.
644WOn the basis of the available data, the CSM's advice remains that there is no evidence of harm from the very small quantities of thiomersal contained in some vaccines, with the exception of possible hypersensitivity reactions (typically skin rashes or local swelling at the site of injection). This view concurs with that of the World Health Organisation, the United States Institute of Medicine and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).
There is a global goal to minimise environmental exposure to mercury compounds. In line with this and despite the strong evidence supporting the safety of thiomersal in vaccines, the EMEA continues to promote the development of vaccines without thiomersal or with the lowest possible levels of thiomersal. However, the EMEA acknowledges that during some manufacturing processes, the use of mercury compounds is necessary and in such cases, residual levels might be present in the final vaccine product.