Urgent warning on private measles jabs

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Urgent warning on private measles jabs
10/07/2003 09:32:00

The chief medical officer (CMO) has issued a warning that thousands of children vaccinated at two private clinics may be at risk from measles, mumps or rubella. All NHS trusts and primary care trusts have been notified that up to 40,000 children may not have been properly vaccinated against the three childhood diseases over a 10-year period. The communiqué says that two clinics owned by Lifeline Care Limited, which offered single jabs for measles, mumps and rubella, did not follow manufacturer’s guidelines when reconstituting and administering the vaccines. This included making up multiple doses in advance, which is not standard procedure. As a result, the health department said, the vaccines may have been less effective than normal and there may have been a risk of contamination and bacterial infection from the injection. Previously it had been thought that only 1,000 children, who visited the clinics between June 3 and December 22, 2002, had been affected. However, new evidence has come to light suggesting that immunisation problems had occurred over a longer period. The Department of Health says it has been unable to find out exactly when the problems started and has therefore warned that anyone vaccinated at the clinics could be at risk. The two clinics – at Elstree Aerodrome in Hertfordshire and Hillsborough Arena in Sheffield – closed in February after failing to register with the new National Care Standards Commission. The CMO has asked GPs, who are aware a child registered with them has attended either immunisation clinic, to advise parents of the health department’s concerns and to offer MMR vaccine. This will be backed up by a regional advertising campaign also advising parents to have their child vaccinated with MMR. © HMG Worldwide 2003

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