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February 19, 2003
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Fears of Measles Outbreak; Experts Say Parents' Worries Over MMR Vaccine Are Putting City at Risk" Coventry Evening Telegraph (iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk )
(02/17/03) P. 7; Hambridge, Karen
British health experts say the risk of a possible measles breakout in Coventry is growing higher by the day as parents continue to refuse to vaccinate their children with the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Despite assurances from local and national health officials that the MMR vaccine does not cause autism in children, many parents are refusing to inoculate their children with the vaccine. Dr. Keith Williams, director of public health for Coventry, says roughly 84.7 percent of the city has been vaccinated against the measles, but that "we would like it to be at least 90 percent and preferably 95 percent." At this rate of vaccinations, Williams says "it would only take a couple of cases" to touch off a potentially fatal outbreak.
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