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Mr. Stephen Ross
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deaths attributable to the pertussis vaccine were reported to the Committee on Safety of Medicines for the following years: 1964 to 1968, 1969 to 1974, 1975 to 1980 and 1981 to 1984; and how many such deaths occurred within 48 hours of administering the vaccine.
Mr. John Patten
The Committee on Safety of Medicines has received the following yellow card reports of deaths where an association with pertussis vaccine was suspected:
| Years | Total deaths | Deaths occurring during the first two days following vaccination |
| 1964 to 1968 | 10 | 8 |
| 1969 to 1974 | 17 | 3 |
| 1975 to 1980 | 17 | 8 |
| 1981 to 1984 | 7 | 4 |
It is very important to note that these reports of suspected associations between the vaccinations and deaths do not establish a casual relation ship between the two events.