Written question asked by Philip Hollobone (Conservative) on Monday, 11 June 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 14 June 2007. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Thursday, 14 June 2007 on behalf of the Department of Health.

vCJD: Blood

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a cost/benefit assessment of introducing prion removal blood filters to reduce the transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease via blood transfusion has been undertaken by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: A cost/benefit analysis of introducing prion removal blood filters can only be completed once the Department has received both results of clinical safety trials and the independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the filters in reducing infectivity requested by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues and Organs. The analysis will also need to be informed by the outcome of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease prevalence studies currently under way.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 142832; 461 c1328W
Session: 2006-07
Notes: Columns in printed daily part are numbered two columns ahead of columns on Hansard Online. Column numbers on PIMS refer to Hansard Online
Subjects: Blood CJD
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk