MMR jab 'safe' says Dr that linked it to autism

Friday, 31 October 2003 12:00 AM

A fall in the take up of MMR, and the subsequent rise in cases of the diseases it prevents, have been highlighted by a Doctor who triggered the link between MMR and autism.

Dr Simon Murch was involved in an early research paper that was used to link the rise in autism with the MMR jab. But with the prospect of large numbers of children contracting measles, mumps and rubella, he has written in the Lancet that immunisation has fallen to worrying levels.

The doctor worked on an early paper linking inflammatory bowel disease and autistic disorders, though it did not link this to the MMR jab as there was no proof of any connection. However, Dr Andrew Wakefield, a co-author of the paper, went further and suggested MMR may be the cause

Dr Andrew Wakefield linked a rise in autism with a rise in the use of the MMR jab. This led to high profile coverage of a link despite his research being widely disparaged by the medical profession in the UK.

The British Medical Association and most GP's have continued to back MMR, pointing to other research indicating that it is the safest method of vaccinating children against damaging and potentially fatal diseases.

However, it appears their message is not getting through to parents. The Lancet warning by Dr Murch notes that far from an ideal 95 per cent take up, some areas now see just six in ten children immunised, raising the possibility of an outbreak in those areas.

Moreover, this appears to have triggered a significant rise in mumps, measles and rubella in certain areas.

Dr Murch used his warning to reassure people of the safety of the MMR vaccination, claiming: 'No other vaccine has ever been studied in such depth, and the evidence for its overall safety is comprehensive.'

Parents fearing that there may be a link have been reluctant to have their children immunised with the single injection, often choosing to pay for three separate injections at clinics.

However, it was recently revealed that one such clinic in London may have failed to successfully immunise children for several years because their clinical practice was not of a sufficiently high standard. It is believed that the vaccine was stored for too long a period, possibly allowing it to degrade.

Dr Burch also launched an attack on the press for their coverage of the issue, stating that reports suggesting MMR is a causative factor are frustrating 'since it is simply not so.'

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