Hansard

As previous speakers outlined, immunisation has played, and continues to play, a vital role in protecting and improving the health of the people of Scotland.

Richard Simpson put the debate into its proper international context. Globally, according to the World Health Organization, immunisation prevents an estimated 2 million to 3 million deaths from diseases such as diphtheria, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and measles every year. The Minister for Public Health reminded us that, in Scotland, those diseases are now largely confined to the past. That is the extent of the contribution that vaccination and immunisation programmes make to public health at home and abroad.

It is to be welcomed that the Scottish Government has introduced a number of additions to Scotland’s immunisation programme over the past year and has committed significant additional resources to implementing those changes. Notwithstanding the questions that Graeme Pearson posed in his speech, the fact remains that the immunisation budget will have increased by 85 per cent—almost 82 per cent in real terms—in the past year from £8.8 million to £16.3 million.

The additions to Scotland’s immunisation programme include: the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine; changes to the meningitis C vaccine; the introduction of a shingles vaccine for people aged 70 and a phased catch-up for those aged between 71 and 79; and a phased roll-out of the childhood flu programme. In all those areas, the Scottish Government has acted to strengthen further the immunisation programme and deliver benefits of public health.

Implementing those new additions to the programme still presents a challenge to the NHS. It will be necessary to ensure that Health Protection Scotland, the Scottish Government and NHS boards work together to implement the changes—a point that is made in the Labour amendment and, I think, accepted by the Scottish Government. Without the willingness to work together, we will not be able to take forward the additions to the programme without impacting on existing vaccination programmes. We must also recognise the challenges that the additional duties place on NHS staff.

In addition, the Scottish Government has made a clear commitment that it will ensure that the meningitis B vaccine will be introduced as quickly as possible in line with the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation—a point that is welcomed in the Conservative amendment.

Since the mid-1990s, rates for routine childhood vaccinations at two years of age have consistently stood at around 97 per cent annually. The childhood immunisation statistics for 2012 acknowledge that overall rates of childhood immunisation in Scotland are high and exceed the 95 per cent target rate. However, there is a social gradient whereby rates are lowest among children in the most deprived areas and highest in the least deprived areas, as measured by the Scottish index of multiple deprivation.

That important finding from the childhood immunisation statistics underlines the important point that, with the right approach and focused effort, it is surely possible to narrow and overcome the inequalities that are associated with deprivation in childhood immunisation. More needs to be done to close the health inequalities gap, so I urge the minister and his officials to explore what further work needs to be undertaken by the Government and the NHS to identify what more can be done on immunisation.

From May last year, for the first time, all babies in Scotland were offered the rotavirus vaccine, protecting tens of thousands of children from its effects and reducing costly hospital admissions—a point that was effectively made by my colleague, Joan McAlpine. That example brings together a number of important factors, such as timely and cost-effective intervention, preventative spending and an early-years approach, all of which will deliver tangible benefits to the children and families who are affected.

Patrick Harvie talked about gender-neutral human papillomavirus vaccination. Last year, the Public Petitions Committee heard compelling evidence on that issue from Jamie Rae, of the Throat Cancer Foundation, who made the point that there is no protection at all for men who have sex with men, which is discriminatory. The issue is worthy of further consideration by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

The development and implementation of national programmes and multi-agency working, with appropriate action plans, are key to success in public health. The extended immunisation programme is a clear, cost-effective and efficacious exemplar of this approach, and the Scottish Government is to be commended for it.