My son is now 13 months old and I have received an appointment from my Medical Centre asking me to attend with my son for the MMR vaccination. I am unsure what to do.
I know that the MMR injection is to vaccinate against measles, mumps and rubella. I also know that measles can be a fatal illness. However, I have read about the research which claimed to establish a link between the MMR jab and autism in children.
Both my health visitor and my GP are telling me that the MMR vaccination is safe and that any risk associated with the vaccination is far less than the risks associated with the illnesses it is to prevent. Can my son be made to have the injection and is it safe to do so?
Your son cannot be forced to have the vaccination without your consent: that is entirely a matter for you. Any preventative treatment such as this requires your specific consent. As to whether or not the vaccination is safe, that is a medical issue which you need to direct to your GP.
By way of information, I can tell you that the research to which you refer was carried out and published in The Lancet by Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues in February 1998. It suggested a possible link between immunisation at the age of 18 months, a bowel disorder called Crohn’s disease and autism. He suggested at a subsequent press conference that single jabs might be safer than the three in one MMR combination. The media exposure of this information led to a slump in take-up of the MMR which, in turn, has led to a recent increase in the number of measles and mumps cases. An inquiry commissioned by the Medical Research Council found that children given the MMR vaccine were no more likely to become autistic than those who were not.
The GMC, the body who regulate practising doctors in the UK, began an investigation following the inquiry.
According to The Independent newspaper, Dr Wakefield will be charged with, amongst other things, publishing inadequately founded research, failing to obtain ethical committed approval for the work and obtaining funding improperly.
I would reiterate that it is entirely a matter to you whether you wish you son to be vaccinated and would suggest you read all the information available before making a final decision.
