We continue to advise all parents of the need to have their children vaccinated with the MMR vaccine

Dr Rachel Heathcock, communicable disease consultant

The government has attacked "media hysteria" over the controversial MMR triple vaccine - and warned that lives are being put at risk as fewer children have the jab.

Of the 20 confirmed cases, 18 had not received their MMR jab.

Among the 31 cases still under investigation, 18 had not received MMR, and seven had had only the first MMR jab, but not the booster.

Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham has a very low uptake figure for the controversial Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.

In the quarter leading to September 2001, only 65% of eligible toddlers were immunised. Rates for previous quarters have been little better than this.

On average, there are fewer than 100 cases of measles nationally each year. Although the 2001 figures are not yet complete, 61 cases have so far been confirmed in that year.

Controversial jab

There has been a campaign to make the single measles vaccine more freely available to parents concerned about the safety of the MMR.

The government says that offering the single jab would expose children to greater risk.

Links between the measles virus, bowel disorders and autism suggested by one team of researchers in a research paper last week fuelled fears about MMR, although the team has no direct evidence of association between the vaccine and illness.

Another paper published on Friday again failed to find any evidence of a statistical link between the introduction of MMR in 1988 and the ongoing increase in autism diagnoses.

Yearly figures from the Public Health Laboratory Service for the year from April 2000 to March 2001 showed 73% of children in Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham had been vaccinated before their second birthday.

The figure for 1990 to 2000 was 76%.

Recommended coverage levels are 90% - the national average is approximately 84%.

MMR can protect 90% of all children who have had the first vaccination, a second dose raises the level of protection from measles to 99%.

Measles is potentially dangerous in a very small number of cases - it can lead to pneumonia or brain swelling.

There have been confirmed cases elsewhere in the country, but these are not considered at present to be signs of a significant outbreak.

Three cases were confirmed in Gateshead on Wednesday.