News

Vaccine expert takes a jab at Tory MMR policy

Shadow health secretary Dr Liam Fox has been attacked for fuelling alarm over the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine by urging the government to provide single dose jabs.

Dr Fox, himself a qualified doctor who used to practise as a GP, acknowledged that the MMR triple jab was the safest protection for children. But he called on the government to fund single dose jabs for children of parents who are worried about the safety of the MMR vaccine.

‘Because the rate of immunisation has fallen so catastrophically parents, who are concerned about giving their children the MMR vaccine, should be offered single jabs as an alternative,’ said Dr Fox. ‘It is irresponsible for the government to stand back and do nothing. Some level of protection is better than none at all.’

He blamed health ministers for failing to convince parents of the safety of the triple jab.

The move was criticised by Dr George Cassianos, the Royal College of General Practitioner’s expert on immunisation. ‘We are talking about a very serious public health issue,’ he said. ‘We know the single vaccine confers no advantage whatsoever.’

He pointed out that single vaccines were unlicensed because they had not been laboratory tested in the UK. In Japan, 79 children died when the government funded single jabs between 1992-97 while there were no deaths from measles in the UK during the same five years, he said.

Although angered by Dr Fox’s call he was unsurprised. ‘I am not surprised because he is a politician and so he is looking to say something against the government.’

However, as outbreaks of measles continue to increase across the UK there are signs of a rise in uptake of the MMR jab after a dip this year. Public health officials expect to see a 1.5 per cent rise in MMR uptake – to around 85.7 per cent – when figures for two-year-olds are released for October-December 2001 later this year. The increase follows a similar rise in uptake among 16-month-olds – to 76 per cent – for July-September last year.

A spokesperson for the Public Health Laboratory Service said the reasons for the improvement were unclear. But it was more likely to reflect the impact of the meningitis C campaign delaying children being taken for the MMR, rather than renewed confidence.

The Department of Health is relying on primary health care professionals to explain the facts about the jab to parents rather than launching a public education campaign. Packs of information are being sent to all doctors, nurses and other health staff in primary care groups.

For information on the MMR vaccine try the website www.immunisation.org.uk