| There is a lot of controversy at the moment regarding | | | | backing this claim behind the scenes. |
| the MMR vaccine, specifically the measles portion of it. | | | | The investigation also alleges that there were a |
| Many parents are nervous about allowing their children | | | | number of patents from him and the London Free |
| to have the MMR vaccination due mainly, I believe, to | | | | Hospital for individual treatments involved, which were |
| its link with autism. | | | | dependent on MMR's reputation being damaged and |
| Most people have quite a fixed opinion I have found, | | | | parents opting for individual vaccines. There has also |
| though are unsure what the actual evidence is that | | | | been an unreported study from Wakefield's lab which |
| they are believing. There is no shortage of information | | | | showed his theories to be wrong. The original study |
| about MMR and autism, and it is easily found on the | | | | seems fatally damaged by these revelations, and Dr. |
| internet. However there seems to be a lot of junk | | | | Wakefield has not yet taken the step of attempting to |
| science available, and those scientifically untrained may | | | | sue Brian Deer who carried out the investigation. |
| be unable to separate the junk from the real thing. | | | | The main problem with the MMR vaccine appears to |
| They therefore tend to believe that which affects | | | | be the measles portion. If this is the case why should a |
| them most. | | | | singles measles vaccine be any better than the MMR? |
| = = = = THE START = = = = | | | | This, in itself, has not been properly explained, and |
| The whole debate started in 1998 when | | | | Wakefield's vaccine patents seem to indicate |
| gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield, in association | | | | something funny was going on. |
| with others, claimed that MMR might trigger autism. | | | | There are two camps, and little between. Parents are |
| Based on only 12 children, most of the others who | | | | caught between the two sets of information. |
| authored the paper later retracted the findings. It was | | | | Unfortunately, there is a great deal of politics involved |
| based on the possibility of the measles virus, given live | | | | in both camps. The pro-connection camp are talking |
| as part of the vaccine, causing enterocolitis (bowel | | | | about litigation and class action and the anti-connection |
| inflammation) and releasing toxins which attack the | | | | camp, naturally, are trying to defend against this and |
| brain, causing autism. | | | | governments are becoming worried. The real scientists |
| Parents panicked, vaccination rates dropped | | | | are becoming worried that we may regress to the |
| dramatically and Wakefield cited data from California | | | | pre-1960's situation before any measles vaccine was |
| which showed the number of autism cases increasing | | | | available, and millions died from the diseases annually. |
| 600% between 1980 and 1994. However, this also | | | | The potential legal situation is starting to affect the |
| supports other evidence that autism rates are | | | | figures. Review of case records has shown that the |
| increasing: In fact that they were increasing before the | | | | child's history given by some parents changed after |
| introduction of MMR in 1988. During the period when | | | | the publicity. Prior to the publicity some parents |
| the proportion of MMR vaccinations was fairly steady | | | | reported they were concerned about their children |
| autism still increased, and continued to increase when | | | | from an early age, normally before they reached one |
| the MMR vaccine uptake in the UK dropped to 60%. | | | | year. The current history for the same children now |
| This is poor evidence to suggest a link. | | | | show the same children's symptoms only occurring |
| = = = = THE PROBLEMS = = = = | | | | after the MMR vaccination. This is certain to damage |
| What the autism studies have failed to take into | | | | future studies which even now are being accused by |
| account are: | | | | both sides of being slanted or biased one way or |
| * They are based on numbers and do not take | | | | another depending on what side of the possible |
| population growth or changes in its composition into | | | | litigation you are. |
| account. | | | | = = = = THE FUTURE = = = = |
| * The cases in the original study were referred to the | | | | There is now too much media interest and the bias |
| researchers, and there were only 12 of them, and did | | | | which now seems to have flawed the initial study will |
| not represent the population. | | | | continue to be the main subject of debate, rather than |
| * Diagnostic definitions of autism have changed over | | | | whether or not there is really a link, and this is |
| the years, and various studies have failed to take this | | | | potentially damaging to children. Children are being |
| into account. Minor symptoms have increasingly been | | | | damaged: they are either being given a vaccine which |
| diagnosed as autism. | | | | promotes autism or they are being denied a vaccine |
| * Children are now being diagnosed at an earlier age | | | | necessary to prevent them contracting three serious |
| and so the cases must increase. | | | | diseases |
| * No account has been taken of the increase of | | | | It is of extreme importance that the truth come out, |
| environmental pollution by chemicals and fumes. | | | | whether there are financial implications or not. Both |
| A large study in Finland, involving 1.8 million people who | | | | sides should be forced to get together to come to a |
| received 3 million doses of the MMR vaccine over 14 | | | | conclusion which helps the parents, not the lawyers or |
| years, found only a few reactions. It failed, however, | | | | corporations or governments. |
| take into account the background cases of autism | | | | In the UK alone uptake of MMR has reduced |
| normally expected of the general population. | | | | dramatically and children have started to die again |
| Nevertheless, it provides good evidence that the link is | | | | from measles. Once the current young girls grow up |
| tenuous at best. | | | | they will be almost certain to have problems with |
| A recent analysis in the UK supports this, showing a | | | | foetal abnormalities, unless they make sure they are |
| steadily increasing rate of autism against a steady | | | | immune to rubella prior to puberty. This is especially |
| uptake of the MMR vaccine. So autism is increasing | | | | true now, with so many teenage births. The problem is |
| despite MMR remaining steady. | | | | that today's parents have never seen the era prior to |
| A study in Denmark, often quoted, showed an | | | | vaccination, when deaths from measles were |
| increase in autism in children who had the MMR | | | | commonplace, when infant abnormality was common |
| vaccination. However, this has been used both by | | | | and young men dreaded the mumps. |
| governments and other researchers to either disprove | | | | Any parents who refuse the MMR vaccination must |
| or prove the link. I have not seen the evidence but it | | | | ensure that their child is immunised against these |
| must be flawed if it can be used by both sides. | | | | diseases with separate vaccines. They must not send |
| A recent study in Japan, who withdrew the MMR | | | | their children to measles parties. Mumps and German |
| vaccine in 1993 for other reasons showed that in over | | | | measles (rubella) parties are OK since these diseases |
| 31,000 children born in one district of Yokohama | | | | are not dangerous till puberty. Measles on the other is |
| between 1988 and 1996, cases of children diagnosed | | | | a killer disease, especially dangerous in young children. |
| as autistic by the age of 7 continued to increase from | | | | Of the 400,000 measles deaths worldwide, 25% are |
| 48 to 86 per 10,000 prior to MMR withdrawal to 97 to | | | | of children under 1 year. Almost 80% of measles |
| 161 per 10,000 after withdrawal. This equates to: | | | | deaths are from pneumonia: measles is a respiratory |
| * A 56% increase in autism prior to the withdrawal of | | | | disease. |
| MMR | | | | My own belief is that the MMR vaccine is not a |
| * A 60% increase in autism after the withdrawal of | | | | specific problem. If there is a problem it lies in the |
| MMR | | | | measles virus itself, since it is that which is claimed by |
| Remember, all children in the Yokohama test were | | | | Dr Wakefield to cause the enterocolitis. The single |
| examined up till they were 7 years old, so age was | | | | measles vaccine will therefore have the same |
| not a factor. | | | | problem. In my opinion, the choice is not between MMR |
| This is the first study undertaken on what happens | | | | vaccine and the single vaccine, but between either |
| after the MMR vaccine is withdrawn and it suggests | | | | vaccine and posssible autism, or no vaccine and the |
| that the rate of autism and the vaccine are not | | | | measles and possible death (and autism), not to |
| connected. | | | | mention all the nasty side effects such as hearing |
| = = = = THE FLAWS = = = = | | | | problems, meningitis and brain damage. |
| The Lancet has recently admitted that the original | | | | = = = = WHAT DO YOU THINK? = = = = |
| paper by Wakefield would never have been published | | | | So, what is your opinion? Do you think that MMR |
| had it known certain facts. It has been alleged by a | | | | causes autism? Would you let your child have the |
| Channel 4 and Sunday Times investigation that | | | | MMR vaccination when the time comes (13 - 15 |
| Andrew Wakefield was being paid to carry out other | | | | months generally)? |
| studies by a group involved in a multibillion lawsuit | | | | CLICK on the link below and give us your opinion. |
| against the MMR vaccine's makers. Wakefield was | | | | |