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'Too few' children immunised due to MMR vaccine fears

29/02/2008

Fears over the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine have led to not enough children being immunised, a new study warns today.

Researchers from the UCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street hospital say the number immunised is well below the level needed to prevent outbreaks of the diseases.

They claim that although the uptake of MMR vaccine has increased recently, there have been more cases of measles in 2007 than in any year for the past decade.

Their study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that 88.6 per cent of children born between 2000 and 2002 in the UK had been immunised with MMR by the age of three.

Just over five per cent had received at least one of the single vaccines, and 6.1 per cent were unimmunised.

Of the 634 children who had received at least one single vaccine, just over half (52 per cent) had received all three.

Children who remain unimmunised were more likely to come from a household with greater numbers of children and a single parent.

Three-quarters of the parents who chose not to have their child immunised with the MMR vaccine said it was due to a "conscious decision".

Common reasons given were being too scared; thinking the vaccine was too dangerous; links with autism; and negative media attention.

Some fears remain after a 1998 study suggested there could be a link between the vaccine and autism.

This link has since been disputed, most recently in January this year by the most comprehensive study undertaken on the subject.

The researchers conclude that steps are needed to ensure interventions reduce social inequalities that prevent vaccine uptake.

They added: "For most parents who declined MMR it was a conscious decision and it is therefore important to ensure ready access to evidence based information about MMR vaccine, tailored to respond to particular concerns, questions, and beliefs of different groups."