To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the chemical composition is of the swine flu vaccine his Department is planning to issue to the NHS. (291494)

Gillian Merron: It is the manufacturer's responsibility to provide this information to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) as part of licensing requirements.

For the licensed Glaxo Smith Kline vaccine named Pandemrix, the excipient list as listed at EMEA website is as follows:

After mixing, 1 dose (0.5 ml) contains:

Split influenza virus, inactivated, containing antigen¹ equivalent to:

3.75 micrograms²

A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)v-like strain (X-179A)

¹ propagated in eggs

² haemagglutinin

AS03 adjuvant composed of squalene (10.69 milligrams), DL-a-tocopherol (11.86 milligrams) and polysorbate 80 (4.86 milligrams)

The suspension and emulsion, once mixed, form a multidose vaccine in a vial. The vaccine contains 5 micrograms thiomersal.

Suspension vial:

Polysorbate 80

Octoxynol 10

Thiomersal

Sodium chloride (NaCI)

Disodium hydrogen phosphate (Na2HP04)

Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2P04)

Potassium chloride (KCI)

Magnesium chloride (MgC12)

Water for injections

Emulsion vial:

Sodium chloride (NaC1)

Disodium hydrogen phosphate (Na2HP04)

Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2P04)

Potassium chloride (KCI)

Water for injections

Whole virion influenza vaccine, inactivated containing antigen of pandemic strain¹:

A/California/07/2009 (H1N1)v 7.5 micrograms² per 0.5 ml dose

¹ propagated in Vero cells (continuous cell line of mammalian origin)

² expressed in micrograms haemagglutinin.

This is a muitidose container.

Trometamol

Sodium chloride

Water for injections

Polysorbate 80

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the availability of Tamiflu for dispensing on private prescriptions; and whether the increase in the NHS stockpile of Tamiflu affects this availability. (292902)

The supply of Tamifiu has been kept under review since the pandemic was declared and only very limited amounts have been available in the supply chain to fulfil private prescriptions. Bulk purchases by the United Kingdom and other Governments globally have meant that, to date, stocks available for supply against private prescriptions have been very limited. However, this situation is being kept under review and we are in regular touch with the manufacturer.