AN expert group has been ordered by the Scottish
Executive to find viable alternatives to the controversial MMR vaccine
within six months.
The Scottish Parliament's health committee decided that an alternative
must be considered, following a five-month investigation into the jab which
has been linked to a rise in autism and bowel problems among children.
The committee's conclusion will come as a major blow to Susan Deacon,
the Health Minister, and calls into question the Government's
policy of insisting that mumps, measles and rubella vaccine is perfectly
safe and that no alternative should be considered. However,
the move was welcomed by autism campaign groups.
Jane Hook, chairman of the Scottish Society for Autism, said: "For
once people have listened. This report opens several doors which have never
been opened before." Bill Welsh, of Action for Autism, said:
"It's a shame we had to go to politicians because the medical
profession would not listen."
The committee, chaired by Margaret Smith, the Liberal Democrat MSP, said
that they could not conclude there was a link between MMR and autism and
recommended no change to the current vaccination programme. However, it
appreciated the growing public concern and said that if take-up
levels continued to fall there would be a risk of a measles,
mumps or rubella epidemic and children would die.
It concluded: "The expert group should determine what effect there
would be on 'herd immunity' in offering single vaccines on a pragmatic
basis for those children whose parents remain unconvinced by the evidence
of MMR safety."
The committee also recommended greater funding from the Executive into
MMR research and that all health boards commit to a special needs register
to help provide a clearer picture of children with autism. It said that
parents, health visitors and GPs should have better information about MMR
and children should be checked for symptoms of autism before vaccination.
Mrs Smith said: "If people are not taking up the chance of being
vaccinated then they are opening themselves up to a killer disease and we
have to discuss what other options are available. The Executive are simply
saying that single jabs are not an option, but we have not been told
why."
The report, compiled by Mary Scanlon, the Tory health spokesman, has
been dogged by controversy. Dr Mac Armstrong, the Chief Medical Officer,
lodged a formal complaint that Mrs Scanlon had not consulted him and
members of the committee also complained they had felt pressurised by the
Executive into rejecting single jabs.
22
February 2001: MMR 'causes bleeding disorder'
11
February 2001: Science advisers call for legal insurance
9
February 2001: Tories call for single jabs to replace MMR
23
January 2001: Campaign to persuade parents that the MMR jab is safe
22
January 2001: Experts try to ease fears over MMR jab
21
January 2001: MMR doctor links 170 cases of autism to vaccine
21
January 2001: Shame on officials who say MMR is safe
16
January 2001: [Features] Is MMR a shot in the dark?
12
January 2001: Nearly half of GPs uneasy over MMR dose
1
November 1998: Families begin legal fight over MMR vaccine
