THE age at which children are immunised with MMR was lowered recently. Have mercy, minister!


We at the Hope Project helpline are already stretched to capacity trying to cope with calls connected with the autism epidemic.

These parents are terrified and heartbroken. They need support. Time is their enemy.

Minister, most of the hundreds of families who have contacted us relate a story that implicates the MMR and/or other vaccines in their child’s derailment into an autistic spectrum disorder. There are other factors involved. From parental accounts, it seems that genetics, prematurity, birth trauma, chemical exposures, multiple antibiotics, surgery, recent illness and previous vaccines create a background susceptibility.

These factors load the gun, but it seems to take an immunological event like MMR to pull the trigger.

A comprehensive screening process would identify many of the susceptible children and exclude them from immunisation. Screening would also identify temporary susceptibility and enable doctors and parents to modify the vaccine schedule of individual children.

Parents of children who pass rigorous pre-immunisation screening could have them immunised with some or all of the vaccines with some degree of confidence and safety.

With growing evidence showing a vaccine (especially MMR) link to autism, why would you, as minister, approve the lowering of the age of MMR immunisation from 15 months to 12 months.

And why, Minister, are you allowing the 3-in-1+1vaccine given at two, three and four months.

The jury is still out on the role that the 3-in-1 (also 2-in-1) vaccine plays in the onset of autism. Will you at least assure us that all early baby vaccines used in Ireland will be mercury free?

For five years now the Hope Project has been pleading for a head-count of persons with autism. How long can it take given that virtually every autistic person is either in State services or seeking them?

You and I know the figures will be shocking, but let’s have them because we can’t tackle this epidemic until we admit there is one.

Kathy Sinnott,

Secretary,

The Hope Project,

Ballinhassig,

Co Cork.