Sep 19 2002
 

Madeleine Brindley, The Western Mail

AUTISTIC schoolboy Oliver Loch wandered the deserted corridors of power at the National Assembly yesterday looking for someone to talk to about his problems.

In the absence of Health Minister Jane Hutt and her deputy Brian Gibbons, the six-year-old was reduced to handing over a high-profile petition to civil servants.

The Newport youngster cut a lonely figure roaming the almost empty building as he waited with his mother Julie for officials to make their way across the city to meet him.

Oliver, who developed the devastating condition soon after being vaccinated with the controversial measles, mumps and rubella jab, had made the journey to the capital on behalf of all the children in Wales suffering from regressive autism to call for immediate tests to determine the root of their illnesses.

But he and his mother left Cardiff Bay disappointed and angry that the Health Minister could not find five minutes in her schedule to hear their concerns.

Mrs Loch said, "The issue about whether MMR is involved is secondary to what is essentially a question of child health. For the minister not to acknowledge that is disgraceful."

William Graham, AM for South Wales East, said, "It's disappointing that the minister was not here as this is a matter of wide interest. That the minister of deputy minister were not available to take the petition in person is a poor show for Wales."

As Oliver was waiting for someone to collect his petition children in England, Scotland and Ireland were handing in similar documents to their governing bodies.

They are all calling a full medical investigation into their condition and tests to determine the extent of the damage caused by the measles.

There are thought to be 20,000 children diagnosed with regressive autism in the past decade in the UK. Most of these children, like Oliver, developed normally before regressing.

Tests have revealed that Oliver's blood and digestive system are infected with the same strain of measles used in the MMR vaccine.

Mrs Loch said, "If it isn't a vaccine that has caused these problems and it is purely coincidental, at least investigate it to find out what has happened to our children. Children don't develop normally for a year and then regress.

"Our petition seeks to bring the plight of our children to the public's attention and we ask the Government to provide for the routine testing of our children.

"For the sake of these children the Government should put aside any fears it might have that by addressing this condition it would be underminingits own case for the present measles vaccination programme."

The petition was received by head of family health Peter Lawler and Dr Gwen Lowe, a public health doctor working with the Assembly.

They said it would be passed on to Ms Hutt, who would respond to the Loch family in due course.

It would also be circulated to all the members of the Assembly.

A spokeswoman for Ms Hutt said she had prior commitments in London which could not be changed and Dr Gibbons was undertaking other engagements on behalf of the minister.

"An Assembly official did go down to meet Julie Loch and all her comments will be passed on to the minister," she said.

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