http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20020206/hl/blair_1.html
Wednesday February 6 10:29 AM ET
By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - The government has denied it is reviewing its policy on a
triple measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine amid fears a drop in the number
of children having the jab might spark a measles epidemic.
Prime Minister Tony Blair (news
- web
sites)'s official spokesman on Wednesday insisted MMR--which some parents fear
may be linked to autism and bowel disorders--was entirely safe and said it was
used in more than 90 countries around the world.
He accused journalists of whipping up ``media hysteria'' over the issue and
warned that increasing unfounded fears about MMR could have dangerous
consequences.
``MMR is safe,'' the spokesman said. ``Five hundred million doses of MMR
have been given in 90 different countries.
``Of course we keep the evidence under constant review. But all the evidence
points in one direction and we have to be clear about that,'' he said.
``Measles is a very dangerous disease.''
Eight new cases of measles among children were confirmed in south London on
Wednesday, bringing the total number with the disease in the capital to 11.
Another 18 suspected cases are under investigation in London, as well as
four possible cases in the north.
Conservatives have called for parents worried about the MMR vaccine to be
allowed to choose to vaccinate their children with three separate vaccines,
rather than the combination vaccine.
Speaking on BBC radio, the Tories' health spokesman Liam Fox said MMR was
the best option for children, but with immunisation rates falling more in UK
than anywhere else this ''single jab'' option was necessary. ``The alternative
is not as good as MMR but it is a lot better than nothing,'' he said.
Latest full government figures--dating back to the three-month period from
June-September last year--show MMR vaccination rates were then at an average of
85%.
Since then, some government reports have showed the uptake fell to under 65%
in some parts of Britain this year, fuelling fears of a measles epidemic.
Blair's spokesman said the government was not in favour of the single jab
option, since it requires parents to take their children to the doctor six
separate times to get the full vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella.
He said medical advice was that immunisation rates tended to go down if the
three separate vaccines were promoted instead of MMR, since parents did not have
the time to follow the vaccination process through.
The Sun said on Wednesday that Blair, who has become personally embroiled in
the MMR row by refusing to say whether his 20-month-old son Leo has had the
triple vaccine, was rethinking government policy to promote MMR.
But Blair's spokesman categorically denied the story.
``The story is wrong. Full stop, no equivocation. It is wrong,'' he said.
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