Whether thiomersal is still used for child vaccinations; which current vaccinations contain thiomersal, and whether thiomersal is considere…

The regulation and control of medicines is reserved.The Medicines Control Agency has advised that the only vaccines in the routine UK childhood immunisation programme which contain thiomersal as an excipient in the final product are diphtheria, tetanus, wholecell pertussis (DTwP) and diphtheria and tetanus vaccines.In September 2001, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) reviewed the available data relating to possible neurotoxicity of thiomersal in vaccines and advised that there is no evidence of harm caused by doses of thiomersal in vaccines, except for hypersensitivity reactions. The CSM concluded that the risk:benefit balance of thiomersal-containing vaccines remains overwhelmingly positive.Information about thiomersal in vaccines was provided in a letter issued to NHSScotland in November 2001 from the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Nursing Officer and the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 23701).