Measles Cases

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts Excerpts

Monday 22nd January 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

The situation varies across the country. What is clear in the more deprived sections of certain communities is that such communications are not what they could and should be. The message to any parents of young children is that they should contact their GP today and get them vaccinated.

[Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Con)]

My Lords, for those who were involved in the vaccine reluctance programme 20 or more years ago, the major difficulty was that the simultaneous MMR vaccine had a stabiliser called thimerosal, and it was believed that thimerosal led to adverse reactions in a number of young people. Will my noble friend confirm that thimerosal as a stabiliser has been removed; I am sure that he cannot answer that now, but will he write to me and put a copy of the letter in the Library?

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

I am grateful to my noble friend for that question. He is right that I cannot answer his specific point on the make-up of the vaccine, but I will write to him and place a copy in the Library. The MMR vaccine is perfectly safe; that is not to say that some individuals—a tiny proportion—might not have an allergic reaction or whatever to it, but it is very safe and can save lives.