Monday, June 01, 2009
The case for the MMR vaccine
I do not have any children of my own but I know many people who do and am aware of the worry they have suffered at the prospect of their child having an MMR jab because of the misinformation that has been spread about this vaccine.
It is important therefore that we undertake a massive re-education programme about the importance of this vaccine, especially in the light of the measles outbreak that is starting to grip parts of Wales.
I am grateful to Lynn Neagle's researcher for reminding me about this article by James Randerson in the Guardian. In it he writes:
In 2001, at the peak of the media attention when the Blairs refused to say whether Leo had received the jab, I could almost forgive precious parents for being confused. But now there is absolutely no excuse. A shoddy theory has been conclusively quashed.
The World Health Organisation's take on the wealth of studies now out there is that "no evidence exists of a causal association between the MMR vaccine and autism or autistic disorders". On its website on immunisation the NHS states that, "independent experts from around the world have found no credible scientific evidence for such a link and there is now a large amount of evidence showing that there is no link". Trust me, this is as nailed down as science gets.
So anyone who clings to the notion that MMR causes autism is just plain wrong. Worse, if you opt not to have your child vaccinated, you are reducing the "herd immunity" and putting other children at serious risk. To be effective, the jab must cover 95% of the population, but because of the actions of MMR refusniks that is now below 85% – and in some parts of London it is down to 60%.
Those who delay or miss out their child's vaccinations are putting everyone else at risk. Measles is a serious disease that can lead to hearing loss, brain inflammation and death – plus miscarriage in pregnant women.
He concludes: The decision by many of my neighbours not to vaccinate their children is on a par with the drunk who decides to get into his car to drive home. It is a personally reckless action that also endangers the lives of everyone else on the road. Society should view the MMR refuseniks with the same degree of scorn.
Everything you need to know about the MMR jab is summed up in those few paragraphs and yet the take-up in parts of Wales is dangerously, criminally low. And it is not just about having the one jab, it is going back for the follow-up injection to make sure that the vaccination is effective.
Torfaen Labour AM, Lynn Neagle argues in this morning's Western Mail that the MMR jab should be compulsory. I would not go that far and indeed, at least one expert agrees with me. Dr. Ian Millington says: “We are living in a democracy, but children are also being governed by their parents’ prejudices – children are being exposed to risk by their parents’ prejudice.
“I do not agree with compulsion because it raises all sorts of issues, not least immunising a child under duress but the bottom line is that if we don’t vaccinate our children there is an element of risk in that others will be exposed."
Nevertheless action needs to be taken to improve the take-up rate and that must include more proactive work on the part of government. If we can send a leaflet to every household about swine flu why can we not do the same for MMR? If we can pay for TV adverts on the dangers of fire why can we not replicate the exercise on the dangers of measles and what needs to be done to avert that?
It is time that government and the medical profession fought back against misinformation and genuine anxieties. We need to do so now, before a child dies.
It is important therefore that we undertake a massive re-education programme about the importance of this vaccine, especially in the light of the measles outbreak that is starting to grip parts of Wales.
I am grateful to Lynn Neagle's researcher for reminding me about this article by James Randerson in the Guardian. In it he writes:
In 2001, at the peak of the media attention when the Blairs refused to say whether Leo had received the jab, I could almost forgive precious parents for being confused. But now there is absolutely no excuse. A shoddy theory has been conclusively quashed.
The World Health Organisation's take on the wealth of studies now out there is that "no evidence exists of a causal association between the MMR vaccine and autism or autistic disorders". On its website on immunisation the NHS states that, "independent experts from around the world have found no credible scientific evidence for such a link and there is now a large amount of evidence showing that there is no link". Trust me, this is as nailed down as science gets.
So anyone who clings to the notion that MMR causes autism is just plain wrong. Worse, if you opt not to have your child vaccinated, you are reducing the "herd immunity" and putting other children at serious risk. To be effective, the jab must cover 95% of the population, but because of the actions of MMR refusniks that is now below 85% – and in some parts of London it is down to 60%.
Those who delay or miss out their child's vaccinations are putting everyone else at risk. Measles is a serious disease that can lead to hearing loss, brain inflammation and death – plus miscarriage in pregnant women.
He concludes: The decision by many of my neighbours not to vaccinate their children is on a par with the drunk who decides to get into his car to drive home. It is a personally reckless action that also endangers the lives of everyone else on the road. Society should view the MMR refuseniks with the same degree of scorn.
Everything you need to know about the MMR jab is summed up in those few paragraphs and yet the take-up in parts of Wales is dangerously, criminally low. And it is not just about having the one jab, it is going back for the follow-up injection to make sure that the vaccination is effective.
Torfaen Labour AM, Lynn Neagle argues in this morning's Western Mail that the MMR jab should be compulsory. I would not go that far and indeed, at least one expert agrees with me. Dr. Ian Millington says: “We are living in a democracy, but children are also being governed by their parents’ prejudices – children are being exposed to risk by their parents’ prejudice.
“I do not agree with compulsion because it raises all sorts of issues, not least immunising a child under duress but the bottom line is that if we don’t vaccinate our children there is an element of risk in that others will be exposed."
Nevertheless action needs to be taken to improve the take-up rate and that must include more proactive work on the part of government. If we can send a leaflet to every household about swine flu why can we not do the same for MMR? If we can pay for TV adverts on the dangers of fire why can we not replicate the exercise on the dangers of measles and what needs to be done to avert that?
It is time that government and the medical profession fought back against misinformation and genuine anxieties. We need to do so now, before a child dies.
Comments:
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I have blogged in support of this, and will add an update in light of this post.
The callous campaign by the Daily Mail is a national scandal.
The callous campaign by the Daily Mail is a national scandal.
There are serious concerns and issues involved with MMR. It isn't even the most effective option. To begin with the trialling and testing of MMR was cursory at best. I would call it deeply flawed. Further, there is a high degree of adverse reactions agt MMR (as tracking systems in other countries have revealed). There remains concern that MMR overloads children's immune systems. THere remains concern that MMR causes gut and bowel problems in a significant number of children. there is continuing research linking autism to childhood gut problems. THere is clear evidence that the mumps component of MR causes meningetis. MMR was withdrawn in Japan in 1993 and the Japanese govt has lost in the courts and had to pay out compensation to the victims and their families for illness and deaths. Whatever way you slice it, a minority of children will suffer varying degress of side-effects and some of them will die. Now all vaccines have side-effects but some cause more problems than others and yes talk to older health professionals and they don't want to see the return of measles and its ghastly effects. However there is another option, a beter option, the current Japanese system of single vaccines actually gives greater resistence coverage and results in less side-effects. Oh the only problem is it is more expensive!!! There is the crux. The usual crapy British thing of doing something on the cheap. Certainly if you are a parent and there is a history of gut and bowel problems in your family then you should think very carefully about submitting your child to MMR. If your child has a history of poor health then you should think carefully about submitting your child to MMR - children with impaired immune systems should not be given MMR.
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