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Childhood Diseases

Volume 407: debated on Wednesday 25 June 2003

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To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children suffered from (a) chickenpox, (b) measles, (c) mumps, (d) rubella and (e) whooping cough in each year since 1997. [120102]

The numbers of laboratory confirmed cases of measles, mumps, rubella, and pertussis (whooping cough) between 1997 and 2002 are shown in the table. Notifications (clinical diagnosis only) of whooping cough are also given. The data for 2002 are provisional and therefore subject to change.

Laboratory confirmed cases
YearmeaslesmumpsrubellapertussisNotifications of whooping cough
1997177180997152,989
1998561181223751,577
1999943661613301,139
200010069760199712
20017176741298888
2002130848263245882
1 Provisional data

Chickenpox is not a notifiable disease and laboratory reports are not available. Since chickenpox is so common in childhood, 90 per cent. of adults are immune.