Blairs backs MMR as single vaccine demand rockets

Tony Blair today repeated his personal backing for MMR as it emerged that demand for the single measles vaccine has rocketed nine–fold in a year.

His support was backed up by new evidence published by the British Medical Journal which found no association between MMR and bowel problems or developmental regression in children with autism.

In the latest bid to quell parental fears over the safety of the jab, the Prime Minister said: "It is the responsibility of all of us, as parents, to ensure our children's health."

In remarks posted on the No 10 website, he insisted: "Against measles, mumps and rubella, the combined MMR vaccine is the best way of doing that."

Figures from the Medicines Control Agency today revealed that between May and December last year more than 8,000 measles vaccines were imported and given singly, compared with just over 900 in the year 2000.

Demand is so high that clinics are reporting a worldwide shortage of the vaccine, the MCA told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Despite concerted moves by the Government to allay fears of a link between MMR and autism, during the summer months the increase was as high as 17 times that of the previous year.

Meanwhile, a study carried out by researchers at London's Royal Free and University College Medical School and the Public Health Laboratory Service provides "no support for an MMR–associated 'new variant' form of autism."

The scientists identified 473 autistic children born between 1979 and 1998. Their bowel problems and onset of developmental regression were documented from case records.

The proportion of children with regression or bowel symptoms did not change during the 20 years from 1979, a period which included the introduction of MMR vaccination to the UK in October 1988.

These results suggest that neither regression nor bowel problems in these children was associated with MMR vaccination, the researchers concluded.

The findings provide further reassurance for parents and health professionals regarding the safety of the vaccine, they said.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister's official spokesman again refused to disclose if Mr Blair's young son Leo had been given the jab, denying that that would be the best way of restoring confidence.

Attempts to personalise the issue in that way were "pathetic", the spokesman said, adding: "This is not about one individual, this is not about one child."

And Health Secretary Alan Milburn today repeated that while all evidence would be studied as it came forward, research suggesting a link appeared to be "deeply flawed".

With 500 million MMR vaccines given in 90 countries across the world, the triple vaccine was the best way of combating diseases, he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

The Government's Chief Medical Officer for England yesterday launched an all–out defence of the MMR vaccine and warned that offering a single jab would amount to "playing Russian roulette" with children's lives.

Professor Sir Liam Donaldson stressed that the facts were "overwhelming" in favour of its safety.

Single vaccines would have a "disastrous" effect and "would not work", placing youngsters at greater risk of potentially serious diseases, he went on.

And speculation that MMR could be replaced by a series of individual vaccines was based on "fallacious reasoning" and would return Britain to the "dark ages", he said.

The measles outbreak worsened yesterday with confirmation of one new case and five suspected cases in Barnet, north London.

There are now 11 confirmed cases in south London, along with 18 outstanding cases in the capital and seven suspected cases in north east England as record numbers of parents shun the jabs.

And a key importer of the single vaccine, Idis World Medicines, based in Surbiton in Surrey confirmed supplies had run out due to a massive surge in demand.