MMR - Anyone know the current thinking on risk involved?

[ClareC]

Have just booked my daughter for her 12 month jabs on Monday and realised the MMR is one to be done at the appointment.

I remember there was lots of hype a few years back linking it to Autism, a quick google search seems to indicate that this isnt the case any longer - has anyone researched this properly / know anything about this?

Thanks

C

[ladywotlunches]

No link to autism. The guy who published the paper has been struck off. Go ahead with the jab and don't worry. Just go prepared with treats for her afterwards! :)

[Norfolkvillas]

My son has just had his MMR. I originally planned to pay to have the separate jabs done privately (my mum offered to pay the c?200). I know that the findings were discredited and the doctor responsible struck off, but my mum's thinking was no smoke without fire and better safe than sorry. Anyway, when the time came, I found that the single mumps vaccine is no longer being manufactured, and no private clinic I contacted had any in stock. So I was left with the choice of vaccinating my son against just M and R separately, or MMR together, so it was a simple decision for me to go for the combined MMR as mumps can lead to male infertility.

The bottom line is that if you want your daughter to be immunised against all three diseases, you have to go for the combined jab. Although the lovely nurse we saw at DMC kindly let us space the 12mth booster jabs and the MMR two weeks apart as that made me feel more comfortable.

Hope this helps!

[buggie]

The smoke was completely fluffed up by the media (and a lack of decent science journalists who can properly critique/analyse scientific papers).

Google Ben Goldacre + MMR x

[Ruth_Baldock]

Echoing everyone else, the autism link is total piffle. Anecdotally, me and my sister had the MMR; no autism. My brother didn't end up having it; as autistic as they come (that's not meant to sound flippant, sorry if this offends- he's on the low functioning end of the autistic spectrum)

[Fuschia]

DS1 had sepvax but no mumos, then had MMR at about aged 5. Twins had MMR at aged 2, separate to the 12m vaccs.

I prefer to space all the vaccs out a bit compared with the official schedule, 2 or 3 needles smacks of gulf war syndrome somehow to me

[Saffron]

We are spreading our jabs out from the official schedule too. This is what we are personally comfortable with.

Link to autism from MMR has been totally discredited. I have looked at the original research and I agree. MMR and autism are not related.

However, there is a very real link between MRR and varicella (chicken pox) vaccines causing seizures if given too close together. So, if you are immunizing privately for chicken pox, make sure your private provider and NHS GP know what's happening. I think the reccommended time between jabs is 2-4 weeks generally.

xx

[Kes]

I'll repeat everyone else, MMR scare story Doc has been struck off, and also hauled up for doing some really unethical things with kids. All the others involved in his study have disowned it, Any smoke was just because he whipped up a mighty media fire, which was probably related to the fact he was being paid by people trying to sue the vaccine makers, clear conflict of interest.

They do have a lot at once it seems, my husband took our little one and I was rather shocked when they came back and said how many she'd had in one go, but she was entirely fine.

I really wouldn't let your mum waste money on separate jabs, the mmr is fine.