A trust has been set up in Cheltenham to fund research into potential links between vaccination and autism.

Search on for jab's link with autism

The MMR Research Trust has been founded by people who witnessed changes in their children's behaviour following vaccination.

They want to fund a £10,000 study examining whether it might have been a cause of their children's autistic spectrum disorders.

Although the name of the trust suggests it will look at only the controversial combined measles, mumps and rubella jab, its founder Tony Bateson (pictured right) said it would go beyond that and look at all vaccinations and any potential links to autism.

His daughter, Claire, 39, is severely disabled and it is Mr Bateson's belief she developed autism after receiving the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) DTP vaccine as a child.

Mr Bateson believes vaccination is a "serious insult to the immune system".

He said: "Our hypothesis is simple. Is there anyone with autism who has not been vaccinated?

"So far we have not been able to find anyone.

"There is a huge raft of circumstantial evidence surrounding this. It is a highly contentious issue.

"When my daughter had the DTP vaccine, she totally changed.

"When I put it to doctors the vaccination could be the cause, they dismissed it. That was more than 30 years ago."

Mr Bateson said there was not enough research done into the ingredients put into vaccinations and he wants tighter guidelines introduced.

He said: "The components that go into a vaccine do not go through the same rigorous testing as other drugs. They should satisfy stricter criteria."

Mr Bateson said concerns over vaccinations had been heightened by the debate surrounding the controversial MMR jab.

He said autistic people who have had the MMR vaccine would be examined as part of the study.

He added: "We are not making the claim that MMR is responsible for autism, but there seems to be a connection."

The trust is seeking charitable status to help its fundraising efforts.

It hopes to make more people aware of its work by writing letters to individuals and groups involved in the debate and launching a poster campaign.

Other founders include David Launchbury from Cirencester and Fay Goodman from Birmingham.

Mr Launchbury has a daughter Lucy, eight, who developed signs of autism after having the MMR jab.

He is one of a group of 2,600 people involved in an action against the government which claims the MMR jab has caused problems in their children.

Fay Goodman is a mother of two daughters. She refused to let them have MMR jabs in the 1970s.

If you would like to make a donation or learn more about the MMR Research Trust, call 0800 0630174, write to PO Box 758, Cheltenham, GL50 3W2, or log onto www.autismobserved.net