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March 13, 2002

“Experts Probe Measles Cases”

Press Association (UK) (www.pressassociation.press.net) (03/13/02); Quinn, Joe

In Scotland, two children are reported to have developed measles, and investigations are currently underway to determine whether the two cases are connected.  One child had not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, while the other child had received only one dose of the vaccine.   According to NHS statistics, the proportion of children receiving the three-in-one vaccine fell from 93 percent in 2000 to 89 percent in 2001.  The decline came in the wake of allegations that the MMR vaccine may cause autism in children—a connection that has been firmly rejected by experts.  An inoculation rate of 95 percent is generally regarded by experts as the minimum needed to achieve “herd immunity,” the level that provides enough protection for the population as a whole.  In related news, recent figures have revealed that the take-up rate in 2001 for tetanus, polio, and diphtheria immunization was over 97 percent for children two years of age and younger.

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