| Have you got questions about child vaccinations? well | | | | autism and the MMR vaccine and there've been many, |
| in this interview we invited Claire Powell who is a nurse | | | | many studies done, not just in this country but in |
| specialist with the Health Protection Team in North | | | | Finland, the United States and other parts of Europe. |
| Wales, UK to answer some of your questions | | | | Every time these big, big studies with experts, people |
| surrounding child vaccines. | | | | who do this all the time, have come back they say |
| Do babies need to be vaccinated? | | | | there's no scientific link. |
| We all get a little complacent, we don't see certain | | | | If there was any doubt that these vaccines were |
| conditions anymore, [we think] my child will be fine. | | | | going to cause any harm to children they would be |
| Without vaccinations we'd go back to the days when | | | | removed, they would not be licenced. At the end of |
| children under five would die. These vaccines get rid of | | | | the day we're all in this job to protect children. We're |
| these diseases. | | | | doing this to prevent the diseases. |
| How do we ensure our children get their vaccinations? | | | | Why can't we give single vaccines? |
| The health visitor will visit between day 10 and 14 and | | | | All evidence shows that the vaccine is safe. The |
| at that visit the health visitor will give the parent a book | | | | reason we don't promote the single vaccines is that it's |
| about vaccinations. There's a database that all children | | | | the time gaps between the three vaccines that would |
| are registered on and automatically they'll be sent | | | | leave children exposed to disease so there would be |
| appointments through the post about their vaccines. | | | | an increase in Measles, Mumps and Rubella leading to |
| We hear a lot about MMR but what is it? | | | | illness and possibly death. |
| There's been a lot written about it. The thing to | | | | At the moment we have the combined vaccine. It's |
| remember is that the vaccine is a weakened version | | | | also important to recognise that this is a two dose |
| of the live Measles, Mumps and Rubella viruses. MMR | | | | programme. The second MMR is given between three |
| protects against all of them. Measles is a very | | | | and a half and five years. That's not a booster, the |
| infectious virus. The complications of measles affect | | | | second dose is to ensure maximum uptake. If you're |
| one in every 15 children which is quite a high number. In | | | | thinking of giving it separately... it would mean a total of |
| serious cases measles can be a killer. | | | | six separate injections. Parents lives are busy....we |
| Mumps is caused by a virus and it can lead to fever, | | | | already have a problem with parents making sure their |
| headache and swollen glands...before this vaccine, this | | | | children have completed the course. Our concern is |
| was one of the biggest causes of viral meningitis. | | | | that it's not a good strategy to get children protected. It |
| Rubella, sometimes known as German Measles is | | | | has been looked at but it wasn't a good option. |
| caused by a virus, it's normally a mild condition but one | | | | Can a babies immune system be overloaded with this |
| of the most serious complications can be in unborn | | | | 3-in-1 injection? |
| babies. If a lady was pregnant in the first few months | | | | If you think about a baby being born, it's quite a |
| and she came into contact with a child who had | | | | traumatic thing. If you imagine the baby coming down |
| Rubella it could have serious complications for her | | | | the birth canal, they're exposed to thousands and |
| unborn child. | | | | millions of viruses and bacterias so if they didn't have a |
| And what about the links with autism? | | | | good immune system they wouldn't cope with that at |
| The speculation started some time ago in 1998. Some | | | | all. All our babies are born with a really good immune |
| scientists published a paper on 12 children who had | | | | system...so a baby already is born with some |
| autism but they also had bowel problems. Although the | | | | antibodies. If they come in contact with a virus or a |
| scientists stated clearly in their paper that there was | | | | bug...children are vulnerable. If you think about giving all |
| no proven link between autism and the MMR vaccine | | | | these vaccines...the body is more than capable of |
| the resulting publicity unfortunately gave the impression | | | | coping. The MMR vaccine is three live viruses that |
| that there was a link. | | | | have been weakened...once the vaccine is given the |
| The number of children being diagnosed with autism | | | | body has no problem with coping with it. It's a myth |
| has increased and one of the reasons is we're getting | | | | that we can overload the system. |
| better at diagnosing the condition but some people | | | | Are there any side effects? |
| took this as meaning that the increase was because | | | | There are some mild side effects. Within about 10 |
| of the MMR vaccine. | | | | days the Measles component of the vaccine starts to |
| Many parents of autistic children know that there is | | | | produce an immune response and at that time a child |
| something wrong with their child very early on and | | | | may have a high temperature, a fever, they also may |
| some babies may appear to develop signs of autism | | | | develop a Measle type rash. That doesn't mean the |
| when they're older and this kind of autism is actually | | | | child has Measles and it doesn't mean the child is |
| called regressive autism and was known about long | | | | infectious but it's just the way the vaccine works. Then |
| before the MMR vaccine was introduced. | | | | the Rubella component starts to take effect so really |
| Unfortunately the vaccine is given at around about the | | | | throughout this phase the child may have a high fever |
| time that children are communicating more..... they're | | | | because it's the way the immune system is responding |
| pointing, they have a few words... it's at this time that | | | | to the vaccine. By about three weeks after, some |
| autistic spectrum disorder is picked up which is the | | | | children may develop some swelling in the neck and |
| time the MMR vaccine is given. | | | | again that is a symptom of Mumps but it's not |
| There's been a lot written about this and I just want to | | | | infectious. |
| say I'm a Mum myself and there is no link between | | | | |