MMR Article from Department of Health

[BlossomHill]

Thought this may be of interest:-

Some facts about the MMR vaccine UK Department of Health
31 May 2004

The MMR programme started in Britain in 1988. By this time, children in the United States had been having the MMR vaccine for over 15 years with no safety problems.

-- Worldwide, more than 500 million doses of the MMR vaccine have been given in over 100 countries.

-- The World Health Organization says about the MMR vaccine, ?its safety record is exemplary?.

-- In the year before the vaccine was introduced in the UK, 86,000 children caught measles and 16 died.

-- Because of the MMR vaccine, no child has died from acute measles in the UK since 1992.

-- Before the vaccine was introduced, mumps was the commonest cause of viral meningitis in children.

-- Because of the MMR vaccine, we are now close to wiping out mumps in children.

-- Before the MMR vaccine was introduced, rubella continued to cause terrible damage to some unborn babies.

-- Because of the MMR vaccine, we are now close to wiping out rubella.

-- There has never been a programme of giving single vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella in the UK.

WE KEEP HEARING THAT THE MMR VACCINE IS LINKED WITH AUTISM. IS THIS TRUE?

-- No. This leaflet will give you the facts.

SO WHY HAS MMR BEEN LINKED WITH AUTISM?

-- The speculation over a link between the MMR vaccine and autism started in 1998 when some scientists published a paper on 12 autistic children who also had bowel problems. Although the scientists stated clearly that there was no proven link between autism and the MMR vaccine, the resulting publicity gave the impression that there was a link.

-- The number of children being diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders (conditions related to autism) has been increasing for many years. Some people took this as an indication that the increase was caused by the MMR vaccine.

-- Many parents of autistic children know that there is something different about their child very early on. But some babies may appear to develop signs of autism when they are older. This type of autism, called regressive autism, was known about long before the MMR vaccine was introduced.

Symptoms of regressive autism often start around the same time that the first dose of the MMR vaccine is given. So it?s understandable that parents worry about there being a connection between the two events.

HOW CAN WE TELL IF THERE IS A LINK?

-- If the MMR vaccine and autism were linked, regressive autism would be far more common in vaccinated children than in unvaccinated ones. But this is not the case.

-- If the MMR vaccine caused autism, there would have been a sudden increase in cases when the vaccine was introduced into Britain. This didn?t happen. You would also expect to see a fall in cases of autism if the MMR vaccine was withdrawn. In Japan, that didn?t happen when they stopped using the MMR vaccine and used a single measles and a single rubella vaccine instead.

-- Extensive research into the possibility of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, involving hundreds of thousands of children, has been carried out in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the USA and the UK. No link has been found.

-- Experts from around the world, including the World Health Organization, agree that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

WAS THERE A SUDDEN INCREASE IN AUTISM AFTER THE MMR VACCINE WAS INTRODUCED?

No. There has been no sudden increase in autism in any country after the MMR vaccine was introduced. This wouldn?t be the case if the MMR vaccine caused autism.

SO WHAT MIGHT BE THE REAL CAUSE OF AUTISM?

Autistic spectrum disorders probably result from a range of causes. The strongest evidence to date points to there being a genetic link.

The chances of a child developing autism are no different if they have the combined MMR vaccine, single measles, single mumps and single rubella vaccines, or no vaccines at all.

All the latest research shows that there is no evidence to say that the MMR vaccine causes autism. Work continues to find out what the real causes are.

Why can?t my child have single vaccines?

All the evidence shows that the MMR vaccine is the safest way to protect your child against measles, mumps and rubella. In the time gaps between the thr

ee vaccines, children would not be protected against the diseases they had not yet been immunised against. So there would be an increase in measles, mumps and rubella leading to illness and possible death. Also, unprotected children can pass on these diseases to other at risk children and pregnant women.

-- Choice is important, but the NHS cannot offer a choice of single vaccines that would put children at risk.

-- Not everybody will be able to finish the course of six injections (initial dose and second dose) and so some children will be left unprotected.

-- The World Health Organization advises against using separate vaccines because they would leave children at risk for no benefit. No other country in the world recommends that children should be immunised against measles, mumps and rubella in three separate vaccines, twice over.

BUT WHAT ABOUT OVERLOADING MY CHILD?S IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH THREE VIRUSES ALL AT ONCE?

From birth, babies? immune systems protect them from the germs that surround them. Without this protection, babies would not be able to cope with the tens of thousands of bacteria and viruses that cover their skin, nose, throat and intestines. This protection carries on throughout the child?s life. A baby could respond safely and effectively to around 10,000 vaccines at any one time. So the baby?s immune system can and does easily cope with the MMR vaccine.

This article comes from the UK Department of Health

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What a pile of crap. The govt propaganda machine has been at it again.

"for any corrections of factual information" what do they want the whole thing rewritten?

I doubt all that many children have been made autistic following the MMR (whatever 10% of autism cases equals) so its fairly easy to carry on producing this sort of rubbish if you can always manipulate the stats to "prove" you had nothing to do with any of it. Who gives a shit about autistic children anyway- they're weird and uselss and as long as they keep out of the way of society who cares.

When will the dept of health work out that a "genetic link" does not let environmental factors off the hook? The environment commonly affects gene expression.

(((hugs))) Jimsjams - things like this must be so annoying.

Why isn't there a huge, big study going on? Or is there - I thought there was at one point? You know, investigating thousands and thousands of children to look at this link more thoroughly?

"A baby could respond safely and effectively to around 10,000 vaccines at any one time. So the baby?s immune system can and does easily cope with the MMR vaccine. "

This bit her concerns me as a parent of a non-autistic child who had a nasty reaction to the MMr. I believe her reaction was probably caused by being given too many vaccines in one go when only a little 12 month old. I don't think her body did cope well with so many drugs in one go. I am sure there are lots of children who don't.

The story behind that figure is interesting. And of course I can't remember it! But it was something like the guy who said it was a vaccine manufacturer or something. Actually I always thought quotes like that were dodgy even when I was provaccination and marching ds1 off for them. Yes we are constantly bombarded by bacteria and viruses everyday (actually bombard is the wrong word) surrounded. But they are not ALL childhood illnesses. Most of us would not be happy for our children to catch measles, mumps and rubella natuarlly all at the same time!

That figure is just a made up pile of cack. Hoefully TB will be offering up Leo then to have 10000 vaccines adminstered into him at the same time. Oh no I forgot he won't because he won't even give Leo the MMR all at once.

There isn't a big study going on as the people who could fund it don't care. And don't want to fund it as they don't want to know the answers. They just quote the stupid Finnish case which is a paper that has been totally discredited by evey scientist in the word except those that work for the dept of health. HAving said that the money made available for never dished out as not enough good quality studies came forwards. But then if you have kids and a mortgage to pay why on earth would you want to study MMR - look at what happened to Wakfield.

They're clever because look at this line -- "Experts from around the world, including the World Health Organization, agree that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism."

What they don't mention is that there are also many experts from around the world who do think there is a link in some children. And that the experts who don't think there is a link are usually employed by the pharmaceutical industry and produce epidemiological studies. They haven't been near an autistic child in their life. With the exception of Lorna Wing who is a bit out of touch these days most people working at the coal face with autism believe there has been a huge increase- and those who work clinically directly with the children have found plenty of evidence for immune dysfunctions.

Also its heresy to suggest that vaccinations can do anything but good. It would be a strange drug that fell into that category.

I found Mumsnet when looking for up-to-date MMR and Autism info, as my baby grand daughter was due for her MMR. One thing I found confusing.
"There has never been a programme of giving single vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella in the UK." Excuse me , but this is a lie. When my eldest 2 daughters were born there was no Measles jab. Girls age 13 got the Rubella jab. Later, when DD's 3&4 were born, they had the Measles jab when small, and Rubella at 13. Adolescent boys were then being offered the Mumps vaccine. Boys did not get the Rubella jab, and girls did not get the Mumps jab, which makes perfect sense. How can they say it was never policy to give single jabs? It was the only way it was done then.
My grandson had the MMR, and it was the worst thing we ever did. He was a normal happy baby. After the MMR he screamed virtually non stop for 3 days like a trapped animal. After the 3 days, he was non responsive, and non verbal. He didn't try to speak until 3 years old, and had behavioural problems. Finally after years of fighting he was diagnosed as Aspergers. Did the MMR cause it, or trigger it? Who knows. This government is certainly not going to try to find out. But I wish they would stop lying about single jabs. It was considered safe enough for my daughters, or are they now saying they put them at risk? They can't have it both ways. I have brought up my grandson since a baby, and at 17 he still lives with us. I don't want my grand-daughter to go through the same problems he has had.

dragonz, what a great post although a frustrating and sad situation. Will you be joining us in the future? Lots of us would love to hear more from you and about your experience. Welcome to MN and to the SN board

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Also why would everybody not be able to finish the single injections??
I haven't as it happens but thats cause they can't get enough single mumps vaccines in!! Wonder why!!!!

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That's what i just said to dp Twiglett

(All i seem to read on that front is that it's safer to get all the kids again and that the blood tests would be distressing!!!!!)

I meant to post a while ago on another thread, now long lost.....
We were talking about what percentage of children DON'T get immunity from the first MMR (urban legend says 10%) and therefore only that proportion really need to have the booster, rather than ALL children. I asked one of my GP friends who has a child with ASD and he looked into it quite carefully. However, he said he couldn't find a clear answer as the numbers are constantly changing and the uptake affects the figures. At least I think that's what he said.... it was quite complicated!

They also keep changing the age at which MMR is given. Now they seem to give it at 13 months when the measles component is less likely to work than if given at 15-18 months- the old time it was dished out.

Dragonz- have your grandson's parents come across Paul Shattock at the Uni of Sunderland autism research unit. They do urine tests to look for gut problems- but they reckon that the urinary profiles are different in children who have been MMR damaged. It may be an easy way to give you more idea as to whether the MMR was involved. NOt that it makes much difference as such (I'm mainly interested in what happened to my son because I had a ds2 afterwards and am now pregnant with a number 3)