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| |  | | MMR Controversy | | | | Two recent outbreaks of measles in London and on Tyneside, have highlighted the dilemma facing parents who are unconvinced by government assertions that the triple Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and has no proven link to autism.
Government Defends MMR
Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer for England has defended the MMR vaccine. Setting out the benefits of immunisation Sir Liam claimed that abandoning MMR would be "playing Russian roulette" with the health of the country's children. He outlined the main dangers of choosing single dose vaccines over the MMR:
- Children are left unimmunised for longer
- Higher risk that all three courses will not be completed
- Whooping cough vaccine policy shift created lots of problems
- No experience of giving vaccines sequentially
Single Dose Vaccines
The website Justice, Awareness and Basic Support (JABS) has put together a list of contact details for a number of GPs offering single dose vaccines. You can read it here.
Measles Virus and Bowel Disease
Dr A.J. Wakefield has produced research which, he claims, links the MMR vaccine to autism and bowel disorders. On February 5 Dr Wakefield published his latest findings which suggest that the measles virus may be linked to bowel disease in children with developmental disorders. You can read the paper in full on the website of the journal Molecular Pathology
Over the past few months Today has produced a number of reports on MMR which you can read here:
MMR The Facts
When do children have the vaccine? What does it do? What are the findings of independent reports?
MMR Vaccine Studies
What are the conclusions of research into MMR?
MMR The Choice
How do parents feel about the vaccination?
Chat
Transcript of web chat with Dr David Elliman, NHS immunisation co-ordinator for South London
LINKS
News Online in depth report on MMR
National Autistic Society
The Autism Research Unit
MRC Autism report
Q and A on Autism and MMR
JABS pressure group
Public Health Laboratory Service
Department of Health
Watchdog Healthcheck
Please Note:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
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| |  | | | |  | Listen - MMR row continues with a political spat over two conferences on autism. MPs Stephen Ladyman and Julie Kirkbride in debate (14/02/02) |  | |
| | | | Listen - new research out on MMR. Why is there no conclusive scientific evidence on the link between MMR and Autism? Dr Peter Dukes (Medical Research Council) and Jackie Fletcher (JABS) (08/02/02) | | |
| | | Listen - are parents being "pressurised" into giving MMR to their children so that GPs can earn bonuses? (07/02/02) | | |
| | | Listen - Was a child removed from a GP's patient list because his parents refused to allow an MMR jab? (06/02/2002) | | | |
| | | Listen - how safe is MMR? Jackie Fletcher from JABS and Pat Troop, deputy medical officer (04/02/2002) | | |
| | |  | | | Children should not be deliberately infected with multiple vaccines - especially measles and mumps.
Lynne Haywood
Central London
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