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Dept of Health

Answer

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to phase out the use of mercury in vaccines given to babies. [109929] Ms Blears: The only vaccines used in the United Kingdom routine childhood immunisation programme that contain a mercury compound are diphtheria, tetanus and whole cell pertussis and diphtheria and tetanus vaccines. The mercury is present as ethylmercury in the excipient thiomersal. While there is no evidence of harm caused by thiomersal in vaccines, the European Medicines Evaluation Agency recommended that it would be prudent to promote the use of vaccines without thiomersal as a precautionary measure. The Committee on Safety of Medicines has endorsed this recommendation and continues to do so. Manufacturers are actively developing research programmes to eliminate, substitute or reduce thiomersal in vaccines following these recommendations. This may take time because manufacturers are required to ensure that the reduction, replacement or elimination of thiomersal does not affect the safety, quality and efficacy of the final vaccine. To date, a number of UK licensed vaccines have had levels of thiomersal reduced or removed completely from the manufacture of the component antigens or from the final vaccine. These developments are regularly reviewed and on 1 April 2003, a letter was sent from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to UK vaccine marketing authorisation holders, asking for an update on progress in reducing or removing thiomersal from vaccines.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

109929; 404 c866W;404 c862W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Children Health hazards Vaccination Mercury Committee on Safety of Medicines

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk