arents who do not want their children vaccinated with the controversial MMR jab received a new setback last night after it emerged Britain is facing a nationwide shortage of the single rubella vaccine.

Pharmaceutical giant Glaxo-SmithKline - the only supplier in the UK - has decided to halt production of the single vaccine which protects against rubella, also known as German measles.

This means private clinics which offer parents the choice of single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines will struggle to meet demand. If supplies run out, children could be left with no protection against the disease.

The problem is being made worse by the Department of Health which is stockpiling the single vaccine for the NHS and limiting the remaining dwindling stocks to private clinics.

Campaigners last night accused the Government of railroading parents into having the MMR jab which has been linked to autism and bowel disease.

Jackie Fletcher, of the campaign group JABs, said: 'This seems like a cynical attempt to put barriers in the way of parents who want to immunise their children with the single jabs. GlaxoSmithKline are continuing to make the rubella vaccine for MMR and they should be making some available in single doses so that parents have a choice.

'This is an attempt to coerce families into going down one route or leave the child unvaccinated.

'But they are going to receive protests from families. Ministers need to be called to account.'

Kathy Durnford, of the private clinic Direct Health 2000 which offers single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, said many clinics were running into serious problems getting supplies.

'It is going to make it very difficult for parents. However, we have managed to find another rubella vaccine,' she said.

A spokesman for GlaxoSmith-Kline said the decision to stop making the single vaccine in Belgium from April was taken at a global level.

He said: 'Ninety countries worldwide are now using the MMR vaccine and the scientific community believe this is the right way to vaccinate. No country is recommending the use of single vaccines over MMR.

'There is a small amount of single vaccines in stock and these are being made available to the NHS for non-immune women of child bearing age. However, eventually these supplies will dry up.'

Catching German measles during pregnancy can trigger abortion and cause mental handicap, heart abnormalities, deafness and cataracts in unborn children.

The Department of Health, which has a contract with GlaxoSmith-Kline to supply single rubella vaccines until September, said it had a year's supply of stock for the NHS. It receives about 50,000 single rubella vaccine doses a year.

A spokesman said the NHS was looking for a new supplier of the single vaccine. He added: 'We are trying to manage stocks for the NHS and the private clinics.'