Current Petitions

PE676, which was submitted by Bill Welsh on behalf of Action Against Autism, calls on the Parliament to urge the Executive to inform all health boards, health practitioners, immunologists and organisations involved in the childhood vaccination programme in Scotland of the opportunity that parents now have to choose the mercury-free vaccine Infanrix instead of vaccines with thiomersal, which contains mercury, for the immunisation of children against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.At its meeting on 28 April 2004, the committee considered a response from the Executive and agreed to seek clarification of whether the Executive had informed all health boards, health practitioners, immunologists and organisations involved in the childhood vaccination programme in Scotland about the thiomersal-free option and, if so, by what method. The committee also agreed to invite the petitioner's views on the Executive's response.The committee received a response from the Executive dated 16 July and a response from the petitioner on 26 May, which appears to have been superseded by a further response from the Executive in which the Minister for Health and Community Care outlined an announcement by the chief medical officer regarding changes to the immunisations against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. That announcement would appear to meet the aims of the petition. Do members have any comments on the response?

Are we modestly going to chalk up that success to our efforts as well?Are committee members happy that we close the petition?