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Dept of Health

Answer

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what vaccines used in the UK contain Thimerosal; [162711] (2) when the use of Thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines was discontinued in the UK. [162712] Miss Melanie Johnson: Thiomersal (also known as thimerosal) is present in the following childhood vaccines: the combined diptheria-tetanus-wholecell pertussis and Haemophilus Influenzae vaccine for primary immunisation and the combined diptheria/ tetanus vaccine used for boosting teenagers. Details of the vaccines used in the childhood immunisation programme can be found in the national health service Factsheet, Thiomersal and vaccines. Other vaccines that contain thiomersal are: Anthrax vaccine, some hepatitis A vaccines, some hepatitis B vaccines, some influenza vaccines and the diptheria- tetanus-wholecell pertussis vaccine. The use of thiomersal in vaccines has not been discontinued in the United Kingdom. The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) recommended in 1999 that vaccine manufacturers phase out use of thiomersal wherever possible. This was a purely precautionary recommendation aimed at limiting avoidable exposure to mercury compounds. EMEA acknowledged that there was no evidence of harm caused by thiomersal in vaccines. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) endorsed this recommendation in 1999 and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation also supports the EMEA statement. There is strong evidence that thiomersal in vaccines does not cause neurological damage to children and the CSM continues to advise that the balance of benefits and risks of thiomersal- containing vaccines is overwhelmingly positive. In line with the EMEA recommendation, manufacturers are actively developing research programmes to eliminate, substitute or reduce thiomersal in vaccines. This may take time because manufacturers are required to ensure that the replacement or elimination of thiomersal does not affect the safety or efficacy of the final vaccine.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

420 c1626W;420 c1626-7W; 162711;162712

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Vaccination Thiomersal Preservatives

Link

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