HL Deb 10 January 2005 vol 668 cc12-3WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether manufacturers of single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines have been instructed not to market their vaccines within the United Kingdom; whether they will have their licences withdrawn if they are found to have done so; and, if so, what were the reasons for the instruction. [HL493]

Lord Warner

Licences for single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines exist in the United Kingdom. These vaccines are not marketed in the UK because the licence holders voluntarily choose not to do so.

Some single vaccines that are unlicensed products have been imported from abroad on the basis of the clinical need of individual patients. Use of such unlicensed products, which have not been directly assessed for safety, quality or efficacy by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), is on the responsibility of the individual prescriber. The MHRA regulates such importation and will object to import if it has concerns about the safety or quality of a product. For example, the MHRA has blocked imports of mumps vaccines containing the Urabe strain because of the risk of vaccine-associated meningitis.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there is any difference in the rates of seroconversion of measles vaccine if the vaccine is administered as a single dose or as a component of the triple measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; and, if so, what are the differences. [HL494]

Lord Warner

The level of effectiveness varies for the different components of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Ninety to 95 per cent of individuals will be immune to measles after the first dose; 80 to 85 per cent of individuals will be immune to mumps after the first dose; and 97 to 99 per cent of individuals will be immune to rubella after the first dose.

Of those children who did not respond to a first dose of MMR vaccine, over 90 per cent will have a good response to a second dose. In addition children with low levels of antibodies after the first dose are boosted.

We do not have data on the efficacy of the single vaccines used in the United Kingdom, as they are unlicensed imports.

Forward to