Apr 29 2002
 

By The Journal

Confidential health files on parents who opted for single vaccinations for their children rather than the controversial MMR vaccine could have been stolen, it emerged last night.

Direct Health 2000, a company offering the alternative to the triple measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, has inoculated 3,000 children in the region at its private sessions at Woodlands Hospital, Darlington.

But the company fears it is being targeted in a dirty tricks campaign after a burglary at its Liverpool offices when computer disks containing the details of thousands of patients from across the North were stolen.

Police are also investigating the discovery of a bugging device in the ceiling of the company's London HQ. The device is reported to have had a transmitting range of 300 yards and a battery life of around 10 weeks. Police believe the culprits may have been trying to find out whether find out whether the children of prominent people have been given the single injections instead of the government-backed MMR.

Direct Health spokeswoman Kathy Durnford said: "We are being harassed but we don't fully understand why. We can only think that someone believes we have powerful information they could use.

"I can assure parents that there is no reason for them to be concerned and it will not disrupt our service as we have got back-up files on paper."

Debbie Cole, the Cramlington mother who launched her one-woman campaign to hold the private inoculations sessions in Darlington, admitted yesterday that the theft of patient records was a worry for parents.

Mrs Cole, mother of 16-month old Jennifer, who was among the first to take up the private appointments, said: "It's obviously a concern, both the fact of who would want to do this and also the fact that our babies' details are out there somewhere."

Tricia Watts, 31, of Longframlington, Northumberland, had her daughter Annya inoculated at Health Direct's London offices.

Annya, who is two next month, was born with a heart block and had a pacemaker fitted when she was 10 days old.

Mrs Watts said last night: "I am totally gobsmacked about this. I just don't understand why anyone would want to steal medical files and what it would achieve."

Yesterday the company was at the Woodlands Hospital for the second round of single vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella.

Ms Durnford said the greatest volume of calls it had had about the service was in the North-East.

"We have had around 3,000 children through our clinics so far.

"As far as we are concerned this is the proof that people do want to have the choice."

In the last year the take-up of the MMR vaccine has dropped to 65pc in parts of the country, well below the Government's target of 95pc to avoid measles and mumps outbreaks.

Some campaigners link the jab to a risk of autism but this is rejected by Government health advisers.

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