Immunisation

Some years ago, there were many stories in the media linking MMR with autism. These caused some parents to delay their child's MMR immunisation or not to have it at all resulting in outbreaks of measles. However, independent experts from around the world have found no credible scientific evidence for such a link and there is now a large amount of evidence showing that there is no link.

These stories led to parents raising many questions about the MMR vaccine. Those most frequently asked questions from the former MMR website forum are now in FAQs section of this website. Search the FAQs - selecting MMR keyword.

Some key facts about the diseases and the MMR vaccine:

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.

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