Link with autism will be recognised

http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=020225005600&query=mmr

Link with autism will be recognised
Belfast Telegraph; Feb 25, 2002

WE were angered by the way Dr Liam Farrell (Belfast Telegraph, February 18) discounted any link between MMR and autism.

The link may not yet be proven and a link is certainly not being recognised by the Government but many people, including parents and professionals, are convinced that a link exists.

As parents of an autistic child who was a normal healthy boy prior to his MMR but who became seriously ill hours after the vaccination, my wife and I are certain that the injection in some way triggered autism in our son.

We feel sure that in years to come the link will be identified and recognised.

Anyone who lives with an autistic child will know the strain this puts on families.

If we had known then what we now know we would most definitely have not allowed our children to have the MMR because we believe that there is a small but significant risk that they will have an adverse reaction to the vaccination. Furthermore, we will not allow our family to receive the MMR booster.

It has to be the choice of all parents as to whether or not they want to get their child vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella but, while this concern about the MMR exists, parents should have the right to choose separate vaccinations.

DAVID and

ALICE HEATLEY,

Antrim.

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