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The MMR Story - Safe Or Not?
The question of children's rights is every bit as important as those of adults, but sometimes the children are still too young to make an informed choice, and parents have to do it for them. Being sure that these choices are the right ones is very important to all parents, especially when it comes to welfare and health.
The MMR vaccine was obviously effective, and the World Health Organization (WHO) target of 95% vaccination across the country was in sight - 92% in fact, in 1994. All three diseases were, miraculously, on the verge of being eradicated, and the world seemed a safer place. Parents and health services seemed perfectly satisfied with this wonder vaccine, but that all changed in March 1998, when Dr Andrew Wakefield spoke up about his own research, conducted at the Royal Free Hospital in London. - www.sciencemuseum.org.uk He was the first to suggest, in March 1998, that the MMR vaccine might be linked to an increased risk of autism and bowel disorders - www.autism-biomed.org/mmr-rev.htm - being convinced that some children's behaviour changed dramatically after receiving the MMR jab. He believed that the combination of the three virus strains within it could overload the child immune system and lead to bowel disorder. His original study, in 'The Lancet', was a report of 12 autistic children with severe bowel symptoms and he clearly stated that: 'We DID NOT PROVE an association between measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and the syndrome described.' But remained adamant that there was cause for concern. He added. 'I'm not saying that the vaccine is definitely to blame but I've seen patients with a new bowel condition who also have autism and it's one explanation that deserves our attention.' His comments sparked a media frenzy, which still reverberates today. Despite his assertion of his theory being unproven, the British public took it to heart, and a swell of opinion against MMR began to grow rapidly. This was perhaps, in retrospect, a classic case of over reaction, but opinion still remains divided to this day. MMR was in the news again, very recently, when Judge Christopher Sumner ruled on Friday 13th June, in London, that two young girls should be given the vaccination, against the wishes of their mothers. His landmark decision followed the wishes of the fathers who wanted their daughters to be vaccinated. Judge Sumner said the benefits of vaccinating the girls, aged four and 10 years old, outweighed the potential risks. "I am persuaded by the evidence that immunization is in these girls' best interests," he said. Louisa Cross, of the Solicitors Family Law Association, said that to her knowledge it was the first time a British court had ruled on the MMR vaccination. Human rights, including freedom of choice in health matters, have always been a sensitive issue, and need to be respected. A glossary of them, including healthcare, can be found at http://omni.ac.uk/browse/mesh/detail/C0020138L0020138.html Health officials in several countries have warned that refusal to have the combined MMR jab could lead to a resurgence in measles, a highly contagious illness that can cause pneumonia, brain damage, dementia and death - www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk/index.php?novals - Officials in Britain believe parents could be putting their children at unnecessary risk from the diseases if the injections are given separately over three years. The number of confirmed cases of measles in the UK today is at its highest since the introduction of the MMR vaccine in 1988. Last year, there were 314 confirmed cases of the disease in England and Wales, compared with 71 in 2001 and 100 in 2000. Despite the relatively small numbers, public health experts say the rise is statistically significant, and almost certainly linked to the crisis of confidence in the MMR vaccine. Dr Wakefield's findings were hotly disputed by the Medical Research Council (MRC), whose line was "no evidence to indicate any link" between MMR jab and bowel disease or autism in children, and concluded that there was no reason to change the current MMR vaccination policy for children - www.doh.gov.uk In April 1998, the results of a 14 yearlong Finnish study seemed to back up the MRC's view. Of the three million children given the MMR jab, only 31 developed gastrointestinal side effects lasting 24 hours or more. They developed gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting within 15 days of the injection. But their symptoms generally lasted no more than a week. None of the 31 children developed any signs of autism or any similar syndrome. The researchers concluded that after a decade's effort to detect all severe adverse effects associated with the MMR vaccine they could find "no data supporting the hypothesis that it would cause pervasive developmental disorder or inflammatory bowel disease." The National Immunization programme has an FAQ site about autism and MMR at www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/autism/autism-mmr.htm and The Autism Research Institute have some interesting information at www.autism.com/ari In January 2001, Dr Wakefield claimed the vaccine had never undergone proper safety tests, before its introduction in 1988, in the journal Adverse Drug Reactions and Toxicology Review, a claim rejected by the Department of Health. St George's Hospital, London, UK, and the Institute for Child Health researchers gave the vaccine the all clear, in September 2001, after examining all the studies into MMR that had been carried out. In December of the same year, a new Medical Research Council review of research, commissioned by the Department of Health, found no link between the vaccine and autism. In February 2002, Dr Wakefield and Professor O'Leary of Dublin jointly published a paper in the journal Molecular Pathology, which suggested a possible link between the measles virus and bowel disease in children with developmental disorders, such as autism. The two men think that the virus may act as a trigger, leading to problems with the immune system. Most of the children in the study had had MMR, though a few had had the single vaccine. Both men, however, emphasized that it would be wrong to jump to any hasty conclusions about MMR causing either bowel disease or developmental disorders such as autism. That same month, researchers Dr Wakefield's own Royal Free Hospital, published their own study on the British Medical Journal website saying there is no link between MMR and autism, having looked at almost 500 autistic born between 1979 and 1998. They found the proportion of children with developmental regression (autism) or bowel disorders did not change significantly over that time. Dr Wakefield has, in truth, conspicuously failed to persuade his medical colleagues of his case against MMR. A number of expert review groups have analysed the published work and some have received oral presentations from the doctor and his colleagues. The UK Medical Research Council (MRC) has produced three separate reports, in March 1998, April 2000 and December 2001. Other studies have been conducted by the American Medical Association, the Institute of Medicine (USA), the World Health Organisation, and the American Academy of Paediatrics, the Canadian Public Health Body and the Irish Department of Child Health. Not one of these studies supports his argument, yet still he persists in pursuing his theory. According to the survey published by the MRC in December 2001, these reviews were 'unanimous in their conclusions that a causal link between the MMR vaccine and "autistic colitis" and autistic spectrum disorders was not proven and that current epidemiological evidence did not support this proposed link' It should not seem surprising that Dr Wakefield was harshly criticized, by the government and health services for his stance. Not only had the MMR vaccine been working very effectively, in the vast majority of cases, but it had saved the taxpayer millions over the years, because the one jab was much cheaper then three separate ones, and averted the possibility of catching one of the three diseases if vaccinated against each separately. He lost his position at the Royal Free Hospital, and went to work the International Child Development Resource Centre (ICDRC) in Florida as its Director of Research. He is recognized in America as a leading authority on autism, and is indeed an eminent researcher, but his unproven theory snowballed beyond his control, and he became a victim of his own enthusiasm. Health experts say that Measles. Mumps and Rubella could reach epidemic proportions if vaccination levels fall too far because of parental refusal to let their children be inoculated. The immunization level in the UK has dropped to 88% overall and down to 75% in some areas. The last UK outbreak in 1980 killed 17 people. The head of vaccination at the Department of Health, Dr David Salisbury, quotes the example of Japan, where 79 people died from measles between 1992 and 1997, and the jabs are given separately. The potential for these three diseases among children not immunized is far greater than they might suspect, and fatalities are not unknown. Peace of mind in health matters will always come at a price, but is it fair to ask that children be the ones who ultimately pay it, because parents have been influenced by public opinion rather than fact? In conclusion, parents should have the freedom of choice. In reality though, the politics of MMR has influenced many information portals. It is important to listen to parents and their previous experiences of MMR. There are a number of campaigners who are convinced that their child developed autism following the MMR vaccine. These parent's voices are indeed unheard in comparison to the well funded Department of Health. Indeed, the resources below will elucidate a selection of articles from the scientific forum and from parent's experiences. It is importance to balance the information provided in order to make an informed choice. Parent's choice should be determined by researching the facts of MMR and not believing the emotive hype. RESOURCES US Documentation on MMR Department of Health UK (MMR) MMR The Facts Med Info MMR Autism Biomedical Network Immunisation Collection of Interesting articles Vaccine Safety Should MMR be Compulsory National Electronic Library of Health (Autism and MMR links) MMR Row Resurfaces MMR's Global Success The Vaccine Debate What the Doctors Don't Tell you - Fact Sheet on MMR Private Medical Services - Separate MMR vaccines List of Useful Links from Birmingham University MMR Your questions answered Global Vaccines View National Autistics Society Injection of Fear Parents' Champion or Loose Cannon Vaccination News Parliament and MMR The above list is hopefully useful to those who are seeking information on MMR vaccines. We hope you find them useful. If you wish to add a link to the MMR section, please email us as mmr@nhs-exposed.com . We would particularly like to hear from parents who have campaigned for their children. We hope you will assist us in making this section an important resource for the public.
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In
the world of the modern media, everything is not only instantaneous
but also very often inflammatory. Who could forget the salmonella
scare when Edwina Curry was critical of Eggs? Sales plummeted, because
people were genuinely worried. It turned out to be far less dramatic
than at first portrayed, but people still wanted to exercise their
right to freedom of choice, and the egg industry suffered for several
years.
In
1987, Measles, Mumps and Rubella were rife in this country, despite
individual jabs for each of them. There were 80,000 registered cases
of measles alone, throughout the UK. Parents everywhere dreaded the
plaintive cries of affected kids. Then, in 1988, the government
introduced MMR - 