Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
Encyclopedia
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an independent expert advisory committee of the United Kingdom
Department of Health
. JCVI was established, in 1963, "To advise the Secretaries of State for Health, Scotland
, Wales
and Northern Ireland
on matters relating to communicable diseases, preventable and potentially preventable through immunisation." The advisory body makes recommendations to the British government concerning mandatory vaccination schedule
s and vaccine
safety.
JCVI is recognized as a non-departmental public body
(NDPB) in the UK. It is a statutory expert Standing Advisory Committee established in England
and Wales under the National Health Service
(NHS) Act 1977, and the NHS Order 1981, as the Standing Advisory Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. It is also a Sub-Committee of the National Professional Advisory Council covering Scotland.
JCVI's members play a role in ensuring its continued standing as an internationally recognised leading body in the field of immunisation. They are people who are committed to the continuing development and improvement of public health policy on immunisation. Members bring relevant experience to the Committee and contribute to the provision of high quality and considered advice to UK ministers of health.
is accountable to Parliament of the United Kingdom
for the performance of the JCVI and for ensuring that it continues to observe the highest standards of propriety including impartiality, integrity and objectivity in the execution of its role and responsibilities.
All papers presented to JCVI --which often include pre-publication copies of research or documents of commercial significance-- must be treated as confidential. All matters discussed at JCVI are confidential. Members should take care to avoid premature or selective disclosure of the Committee's deliberations. A full explanation of confidentiality matters will be given to members on attendance at meetings and these will be recorded in the minutes.
JCVI members meet and report as one Committee usually three times a year. Its recommendations, as accepted by the Secretaries of State, are published in "Immunisation against infectious diseases" and also through other routes as necessary (e.g., Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Letters).
. Among many developments, in February, 1988, fifteen experts and officials met in the UK to discuss adverse events reported after the administration of the vaccines which contained the attenuated Urabe mumps
virus strain. According to JCVI's minutes, the group "read a report of cases of mumps encephalitis which had been associated with MMR vaccine containing the Urabe strain of the mumps virus."
The JCVI "expressed concern" about giving triple vaccines to children with a personal or family history of convulsion
s, but considered it appropriate to proceed with a planned introduction of the MMR vaccine in October 1988, including two products containing Urabe strain. After the start of the mass MMR immunisation programme, additional evidence that the strain was linked with viral meningitis
surfaced in a number of countries, and by 1990, many had withdrawn products containing it. In November 1992, it was withdrawn in the UK, following the publication of government-sponsored research http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/kwk045v1 which confirmed a high incidence of transitory mild meningtis.http://doctor.medscape.com/viewarticle/553729 Since that time, government agencies have acted to prevent the importation of single vaccines containing this strain. http://www.ukmicentral.nhs.uk/headline/database/viewnewssearch.asp?offset=4490&NewsID=1434.
In 2001, Andrew Wakefield
published what he said were his concerns in the Journal of Adverse Drug and Toxicological Reviews commenting on early studies of MMR, none of which were critical of the vaccine. The article was reviewed by the JCVI, which unequivocally rejected Wakefield's claims, with government agencies publishing a detailed rebuttal http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/vaccination/012201wakefield.htm.
In 2010 Andrew Wakefield
was struck off by the General Medical Council
for fabrication of results and failure to declare a financial interest in the importation of single strain vaccines. In 2011 The British Medical Journal ran articles over 3 weeks documenting his fraud and criticising The Lancet
editor for delay in accepting evidence of fraud and withdrawing the publication.
shot, has largely been phased out. According to the JCVI, it has been shown that the amount of mercury in the blood of children receiving thimerosal-containing vaccines is well below levels that may be "associated with any toxic effects." Reports reviewed by the JCVI contend that mercury exposure in the UK immunisation programme is low. However, JCVI endorsed recommendations to remove the preservative "even though there is no evidence of toxicity
, as a precautionary measure, thiomersal should be phased out over time..."http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/immvax/thiomersal.aspx
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Department of Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
. JCVI was established, in 1963, "To advise the Secretaries of State for Health, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
on matters relating to communicable diseases, preventable and potentially preventable through immunisation." The advisory body makes recommendations to the British government concerning mandatory vaccination schedule
Vaccination schedule
A vaccination schedule is a series of vaccinations, including the timing of all doses, which may be either recommended or compulsory, depending on the country of residence....
s and vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
safety.
JCVI is recognized as a non-departmental public body
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
(NDPB) in the UK. It is a statutory expert Standing Advisory Committee established in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales under the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS) Act 1977, and the NHS Order 1981, as the Standing Advisory Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. It is also a Sub-Committee of the National Professional Advisory Council covering Scotland.
Roles and Responsibilities
The JCVI has a responsibility to provide high quality and considered advice and recommendations to the UK Health Ministers. This includes giving advice on recommendations on matters of both a 'routine' nature and also on any specific or special matters that Ministers may request. In formulating any advice and recommendations, the Committee must take into account the need for and impact of vaccines, the quality of vaccines and the strategies to ensure that their greatest benefit to the public health can be obtained from the most appropriate use of vaccines.JCVI's members play a role in ensuring its continued standing as an internationally recognised leading body in the field of immunisation. They are people who are committed to the continuing development and improvement of public health policy on immunisation. Members bring relevant experience to the Committee and contribute to the provision of high quality and considered advice to UK ministers of health.
Accountability
The Secretary of State for HealthSecretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
is accountable to Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for the performance of the JCVI and for ensuring that it continues to observe the highest standards of propriety including impartiality, integrity and objectivity in the execution of its role and responsibilities.
All papers presented to JCVI --which often include pre-publication copies of research or documents of commercial significance-- must be treated as confidential. All matters discussed at JCVI are confidential. Members should take care to avoid premature or selective disclosure of the Committee's deliberations. A full explanation of confidentiality matters will be given to members on attendance at meetings and these will be recorded in the minutes.
JCVI members meet and report as one Committee usually three times a year. Its recommendations, as accepted by the Secretaries of State, are published in "Immunisation against infectious diseases" and also through other routes as necessary (e.g., Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Letters).
Leadership
The JCVI chairman is Professor Andrew Hall, MB, BS, MSC, PHD, FRCP, FFPH, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Membership
The current members' names and affiliations are published online http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/jcvi/members.htm although year of appointment is not stated. According to the published code of practice http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/jcvi/code.htm appointments are normally of four years duration.Position on MMR
The JCVI has firmly endorsed the efficacy and safety of the MMR vaccineMMR vaccine
The MMR vaccine is an immunization shot against measles, mumps, and rubella . It was first developed by Maurice Hilleman while at Merck in the late 1960s....
. Among many developments, in February, 1988, fifteen experts and officials met in the UK to discuss adverse events reported after the administration of the vaccines which contained the attenuated Urabe mumps
Mumps
Mumps is a viral disease of the human species, caused by the mumps virus. Before the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide...
virus strain. According to JCVI's minutes, the group "read a report of cases of mumps encephalitis which had been associated with MMR vaccine containing the Urabe strain of the mumps virus."
The JCVI "expressed concern" about giving triple vaccines to children with a personal or family history of convulsion
Convulsion
A convulsion is a medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an uncontrolled shaking of the body. Because a convulsion is often a symptom of an epileptic seizure, the term convulsion is sometimes used as a synonym for seizure...
s, but considered it appropriate to proceed with a planned introduction of the MMR vaccine in October 1988, including two products containing Urabe strain. After the start of the mass MMR immunisation programme, additional evidence that the strain was linked with viral meningitis
Viral meningitis
Viral meningitis refers to meningitis caused by a viral infection. It is sometimes referred to as "aseptic meningitis" in contrast to meningitis caused by bacteria.An example is lymphocytic choriomeningitis....
surfaced in a number of countries, and by 1990, many had withdrawn products containing it. In November 1992, it was withdrawn in the UK, following the publication of government-sponsored research http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/kwk045v1 which confirmed a high incidence of transitory mild meningtis.http://doctor.medscape.com/viewarticle/553729 Since that time, government agencies have acted to prevent the importation of single vaccines containing this strain. http://www.ukmicentral.nhs.uk/headline/database/viewnewssearch.asp?offset=4490&NewsID=1434.
In 2001, Andrew Wakefield
Andrew Wakefield
Andrew Wakefield is a British former surgeon and medical researcher, known as an advocate for the discredited claim that there is a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, autism and bowel disease, and for his fraudulent 1998 research paper in support of that claim.Four years after...
published what he said were his concerns in the Journal of Adverse Drug and Toxicological Reviews commenting on early studies of MMR, none of which were critical of the vaccine. The article was reviewed by the JCVI, which unequivocally rejected Wakefield's claims, with government agencies publishing a detailed rebuttal http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/vaccination/012201wakefield.htm.
In 2010 Andrew Wakefield
Andrew Wakefield
Andrew Wakefield is a British former surgeon and medical researcher, known as an advocate for the discredited claim that there is a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, autism and bowel disease, and for his fraudulent 1998 research paper in support of that claim.Four years after...
was struck off by the General Medical Council
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise...
for fabrication of results and failure to declare a financial interest in the importation of single strain vaccines. In 2011 The British Medical Journal ran articles over 3 weeks documenting his fraud and criticising The Lancet
The Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
editor for delay in accepting evidence of fraud and withdrawing the publication.
Position on thimerosal
As is the case in the United States and many other countries, the mercury-based additive thimerosal, previously thought necessary for multi-dose vials of vaccines such as the DPTDPT
The abbreviation DPT can refer to:*The Democratic Party of Turkmenistan*The Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus vaccine*The Democratic Peace Theory*Dioptre, most commonly a unit measuring refraction in a lens or curved mirror...
shot, has largely been phased out. According to the JCVI, it has been shown that the amount of mercury in the blood of children receiving thimerosal-containing vaccines is well below levels that may be "associated with any toxic effects." Reports reviewed by the JCVI contend that mercury exposure in the UK immunisation programme is low. However, JCVI endorsed recommendations to remove the preservative "even though there is no evidence of toxicity
Neurotoxin
A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
, as a precautionary measure, thiomersal should be phased out over time..."http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/immvax/thiomersal.aspx
External links
- AdvisoryBodies.doh.gov.uk - Official website
- Guardian.co.uk - 'Influenza vaccine to be encouraged for women in late pregnancy', Sarah Boseley, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
(October 25, 2006)
- Telegraph.co.uk - 'Early fears about MMR in secret papers', Mark Watts, Daily Telegraph (March 5, 2007)