Department rejects claims that MMR is ineffective
Claims made by a private clinic that 50 per cent of
children who receive measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are inadequately
protected against measles and mumps have been rejected by the Department
of Health.
Tests for antibody levels were performed by the
Direct Health 2000 clinic in Eltham, London, on 50 children who had had
the first of two MMR vaccinations. About half were found to have “good”
immunity to rubella but “zero or very low” protection against measles
and mumps.
Dismissing Direct Health’s claim, the Department
of Health says that inferring that MMR is ineffective from these results
is misleading. “These tests were carried out by a clinic which has a vested
interest in selling single vaccines and the results have not been published
or validated by other researchers. They should be treated with extreme
caution,” it says.
The department adds that previous research has shown
that up to 10 per cent of children might not have immunity to measles
and mumps, and less than 5 per cent to rubella after the first MMR injection.
“The second dose is designed to protect children who do not respond to
the first dose or who have lower levels of immunity.”
Dr Paul Shattock, director of the autism research
unit at the University of Sunderland, expressed his surprise at the clinic’s
findings. “I have read all the published papers on efficacy [of MMR vaccine]
and have never had any reason to doubt them. Indeed, I was beginning to
wonder whether the second shot was needed at all.” He went on to say:
“I believe it is appropriate to investigate the claims experimentally.
It is not appropriate for a group of immunologists and public health officials
to dismiss these allegations out of hand.”
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