The researchers say their findings provide clear reassurance for patients and health professionals that the combined jab for measles, mumps and rubella is safe.

There has been a sharp drop in the number of parents prepared to give their children the MMR vaccination because they're worried about a possible link with autism and inflammatory bowel disease.

But a team led by Dr Anna Donald and Dr Vivek Muthu have examined research into MMR from 180 countries around the world and now claim the vaccine is completely safe.

Are you reassured about the safety of the MMR vaccine? Has the latest evidence changed your mind? Would you give your child the vaccine?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

Your reaction

Autism in a child shows itself at around about the same time that the MMR jab is given, and thus many people think they are linked. There is no evidence they are linked, the furore over the jab does however show that many people lack knowledge of basic science and rudimentary statistics.
Tim Pile, UK

I am a university instructor and health professional who had a normal child who was in a lab three weeks before the MMR to showcase normal development. By four weeks after the MMR he had lost language, eye contact, social skills, mimicry skills and was about to lose the ability to even identify himself in a mirror.

So now we are told yet again it is safe, even as there is confirmation of vaccination strain measles in the guts of autistic children. Whether it made them autistic or whether they were susceptible because they were autistic is debatable. But we now have laboratory work on three continents showing measles virus related problems in a subset of children with autism. But parents are not to worry because a review that ignored the relevant studies says MMR is safe.
Jan P, USA

It was brought home to me the horrors that parents go through in making these decisions

Philip, England

As a non-parent I thought little of the problems facing parents over issues such as MMR. However, when my cousin had her daughter it was brought home to me the horrors that parents go through in making these decisions. I am so relieved that I do not have to make the decisions that my cousin had to, because I would certainly not know who to believe - the majority of the medical profession or the media.
Philip, England

As a scientist I have to accept the findings of the vast majority of sound research that says the vaccine is safe, and reject the findings of the small number of unsound studies that say it isn't. I concede that you cannot prove a negative but no one as yet as proved (in research that is not flawed) that there is a link. The increase in cases of autism can be explained by increased diagnosis combined with unknown environmental factors. No one has proved that the single vaccines are any safer, they may even cause other problems, and the diseases themselves are certainly more dangerous, I don't see any choice but to opt for MMR
Anon, Manchester

The latest research is once again a review of existing studies

Rob Covell, UK

Being on the "circuit" of other parents of children with autism, it is staggering how many educated (not stupid) parents saw overnight changes in behaviour in their children following the MMR vaccination. They are going by what they witnessed and they are not where the "new" research is looking. The latest research is once again a review of existing studies and doesn't dig further or conduct its own research.

One of today's newspapers quoted a Department of Health spokesperson as saying this was important research but that parents should make informed choices and that it was not for the DOH to preach - reading between the lines this statement is staggering. The Government spent �3million on an advertising preaching campaign last year (money which could have been spent on looking at the causes of autism). Why the change in tactics from preaching to non-committal comments? This leads me to mistrust official policy even more. Can someone please fund research into the near epidemic increasing prevalence of autism - it's not simply better diagnosis.
Rob Covell, UK

As a health care professional in the learning disability field, I have cared for more individuals known to be brain damaged by the effects of measles and rubella than I care to count. This has reduced considerably since the introduction of the MMR. Autism is almost certainly a multi-factorial disorder, and huge progress is being made, both in its detection and in interventions to minimise the impact upon those affected. The human genome project offers us substantial hope in understanding the many pre and post-natal events which may trigger the disorder in some individuals, one of which may be vaccination of some kind. I was happy to have my own child vaccinated.
Helen, UK

While we continue to wonder about the MMR there will be parents of autistic children who will blame themselves for having their child vaccinated. My daughter was not vaccinated, she is autistic, my sister's child was vaccinated and is autistic. I worry about the blame that parents feel after finding that they have an autistic child, and have regret about the vaccination. The truth is we just don't know, and I personally feel that no matter how many "studies" are completed, will we ever trust the MMR? There has to be a genetic link, and we are not helping parents or children by blindly blaming the MMR.
Martin Courtney, UK

... Like there was no link between beef and BSE. I find it difficult to accept anything that comes from government experts with their hidden agendas. That's why my child has had the single measles jab.
Paul Sinnott, UK

I caught measles aged nine and I'm glad

Russ Anderson, UK

I believe the vaccine shouldn't be pushed so hard - I caught measles aged nine and I'm glad! It's a relatively harmless disease that a healthy immune system has no problem fighting off. The money and the skills of the people involved in these studies would be better used elsewhere in the NHS, helping people with problems that they can't recover from naturally.
Russ Anderson, UK

My brother lost hearing in one hear through mumps and was lucky not to become entirely deaf. It's all about weighing risks. We decided to give MMR to our daughter, without any ill effect. Should we have another child, we will do the same again.
Pascal Jacquemain, UK (French)

All vaccines carry some risks, as acknowledged by the manufacturers and the government's own vaccine damage compensation scheme. So let's have an adult debate that recognises risks exist and put in place a compensation scheme that generously compensates the children who sacrifice their health for the greater good.
Graham Hale, UK

Experts from both sides of the debate can find research that backs them up and discredits their opponents. The sensible thing would be for these experts to define what criteria needs to be met for it to be considered safe and then they should jointly perform the tests and examine the results together. It's not that complicated to do a proper job on this.
Iain, UK

What has damaged these children?

Jonathan Harris, United Kingdom

The review fails to ask the right question: not "Is MMR safe?" with the accent on "Yes" but "What has damaged these children?" My response as a father of two vaccine-damaged children and as a spokesperson for Jabs is this: it is only a review which looks at existing published studies. The Autistic Entercolitis syndrome is a new syndrome, therefore how can one find evidence when there are no past studies? Until the government commissions complete independent clinical research of damaged children, it will be a matter of old research being resurrected with false reassurances that there really isn't a problem.
Jonathan Harris, United Kingdom

The link between autism and MMR has developed the status of a religion: the anti-vaccine lobby simply believe that the link is there, in much the same way that people believe in God. Mere evidence is not going to change that.
Adam, UK

It is patronising to come up with this sort of review as an answer to parental fears. One thing would resolve this debate: fresh, conclusive, unbiased research. The government wants parents to be responsible for their children - please equip us to be so with more than propaganda.
Erica Neustadt, UK

There is a grave reluctance amongst parents, and others, to accept assurances offered by the government over the safety of the MMR triple vaccine. This reluctance was also evident during the BSE crisis and in relation to GM foods. I think the issue to be examined is source credibility and trustworthiness.
Geoff Smith, UK

The finger of suspicion has been pointed at MMR

Steve Cahill, England

It is good news that researchers have found no link between MMR and autism but the research cannot end there. Parents will not be reassured until a valid reason for the sharp rise in cases of autism is found. The finger of suspicion has been pointed at MMR. Without any alternative suspect it will stay there.
Steve Cahill, England

Safe is a relative term in the healthcare field. One must weigh the benefits vs the possible side effects. In the case of MMR, its usage in millions of patients in many countries has proved its safety.
TFB, USA

How can the authors of this latest report claim that it proves anything, if, as they claim, the research that it reviews is flawed? Such an approach only demonstrates they found the current evidence for the MMR/autism link hypothesis unpersuasive.
Brian, UK

So, it's safe again is it? Verified safe by a set of DoH doctors. Are these the same doctors who are the shareholders of the company that manufacturers this vaccine then I wonder? After all, as long as the drug company is profitable, what does it really matter if my son becomes autistic? Sorry Mr Blair, the damage is done.
Geoff Hirst, Scotland

The rise in autism is in large part due to better diagnosis

Barry P, England

The original so-called research that 'proved' a problem with MMR does not stand up to scrutiny by anyone other than the media and a few stupid parents who believe what they see in print. The rise in autism is acknowledged to be in a large part due to better and different ways of diagnosis.
Barry P, England

To Barry P: I would really need a lobotomy before I could fully digest and accept the official arguments for the MMR vaccine. Today's parents are smarter, better-educated and more ready to challenge the official line - based on common sense, rather than rebellion - so the "as the doctor orders" principle does not automatically work any more.
EW, UK

Barry P: My wife and I are highly qualified scientists, who also have an autistic child (typical stupid parents). This latest 'proof' is just re-analysis of already released research - which can be legitimately criticised for not looking for (rare) long-term reactions between autism and measles vaccination. Statistically, vaccination is clearly a sensible approach, but ignoring a possible, rare side-effect with devastating consequences is not the answer to parents' concerns. Why doesn't the government fund research that investigates the real cause of the apparent rise, rather than repeating the current simplistic mantra? That way the majority can be protected from nfectious diseases, and alternative approaches / treatments can be provided for the children susceptible to side-effects.
Adrian, UK

Why should anyone believe it is safe?

Ian, UK

If the vaccine is so safe, when will Tony confirm that Leo has had the jab? By refusing to comment it seems like he has something to hide - and if the Prime Minister is refusing the jab that his government is trying to force on everyone else, why should anyone believe it is safe?
Ian, UK

No one believes the government any more, especially when business interests are put on the line. The reason the MMR is being pushed as safe is to save money for the drug companies who have invested in a product and want to see a profit. It is unfair, and immoral, to take the decision away from parents how they will protect their children.
Peter Finch, UK

There is overwhelming evidence this vaccine is safe. In my opinion, it is far more likely that the rise is autism and other similar childhood problems are down to women who refuse to breastfeed (for whatever reason), as well as smoking, drinking, poor diet and taking medicines, which may have unknown, but subtle, side effects on unborn children. The care of a baby needs to start way before it is born!!!
Chris Chitty, UK

I have always been happy that the vaccine is safe and both my children have had it without ill effects. For some reason, having an autistic child seems instantly to make someone into a qualified epidemiologist and statistician. Anyone with a sick child has my sympathy but I prefer to make decisions about my children's health based upon the opinions of those with more substantive qualifications.
Steve Harrison, UK

Another look at the old research... why doesn't someone look at the autistic children for a change? Chris Chitty blames drinking, smoking, poor diet and not breastfeeding. Not guilty of any of this but my child is still autistic and perhaps Steve Harrison would like to try and find someone with "more substantive qualifications" who is not biased by government policy or payment bonuses for reaching vaccination targets? The truth will only become clear when someone is allowed to carry out unbiased research and does not have their hands tied.
Susie Farouggia, Greece