The history of the MMR vaccineFrom conception (1988) to today, we chart the rise and fall of the MMR debate.
1988 The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) triple vaccine is introduced in the UK, a year after Britain had a measles outbreak which killed 17 children. The vaccine reduces the risk of devastating rubella damage to unborn babies, caused when pregnant women caught the disease from their own or friends' children. Introducing the triple vaccine virtually eradicates measles and mumps in the UK.
1994 A group of researchers, led by Dr Andrew Wakefield of the Royal Free Hospital Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group
(RFH-IBDSG), suggest that the measles vaccine may be linked to Crohn's Disease,
an inflammatory and incurable condition which affects the lower bowel.
However, the methodology of the research is widely criticised, and a number of
further studies fail to show a link. 2000 The families of over 1,000 children who claim they were affected by the MMR vaccine have their cases taken up by Alexander Harris solicitors. To date, the firm now has details of over
3,000 children whose parents are convinced the vaccine has caused autism and bowel disorder in their previously normal, healthy children. Dr Mansfield, who runs private practices in Lincolnshire and
Worcester, offers single jabs to concerned parents who are worried
about the triple vaccine, despite government warnings that the single vaccination is
less effective. 2003 The High Court rules that two girls should have the MMR vaccine against the wishes of their mothers. Mr Justice Sumner said that vaccination was in the best interests of the children and that the benefits outweigh any risks. The ruling means the children must now be vaccinated against MMR, although it remains unclear how this will be enforced. This also means that that parents who are divided over whether or not their children should be vaccinated against MMR using the three-in-one vaccine can now ask the courts to order the children to be vaccinated. 2004 A Medical research Council team looked at the vaccination records of 1,294 children, in England and Wales, diagnosed with autism or related conditions between 1987 and 2001. These children were compared with 4,469 children of the same sex and age, registered with the same surgery but did not have autism.Overall, 78% of the children with autism had received MMR however 82% of the other children had also been given MMR. The researchers concluded that the 4% difference was not significant and they argue that the sheer size of the study makes their findings very powerful. 2005 Japanese scientists say they have strong evidence that the MMR vaccination is not linked to a rise in autism after they found a rise in the incidence of autism after the withdrawal of measles, mumps and rubella in their country in 1993. There were around 48 cases per 10,000 children born in 1998. The rate steadily rose to 117.2 per 10,000 for those born after 1996 - after MMR had been withdrawn. 2008 Since the initial MMR study by Dr Wakefiled, all further research has discredited the link and now this latest conducted by London's Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital, King’s College London, the University of Manchester and the Health Protection Agency has concluded that no trigger between the two exists. The research looked at 240 children between the age of 10 and 12 and analysed blood samples for a response following the MMR injection that could trigger autism. If there were a link, then an increased number of measles antibodies were to be expected in autistic children. Three groups were monitored, one with autism, one without and a group with special needs. There were no differences in the response between all three groups. Dr David Brown of the research team commented, 'The study found no evidence linking MMR to autistic spectrum disorder and the paper adds to the overwhelming body of evidence from around the world supporting the use of MMR.' Where to next?
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