Several years back, our parenting forum has a discussion on giving our babies the MMR (mumps, measle and rubella) jab. Apparently, there are still parents who are adamant about not giving the jab to their babies. However, recently our Government had made the jab part of the scheduled immunisation programme nationwide.

This is the news from UK:

As Health Chiefs revealed last week, Britain is now in the grip of what has every sign of becoming a measles epidemic. In March the first child in 14 years was killed by the virus. Clusters of infections, such as in Surrey and Yorkshire, have propelled the number of confirmed cases this year to 449, the largest number since the MMR jab was introduced in 1988.

taken from Timesonline

Focus: How a spurious health scare brought an old killer back
Brian Deer

As health chiefs last week reported the worst outbreaks of measles across Britain in 20 years, slow progress was being made in bringing to justice the Doctor who sparked the MMR scare.
At the high court in London, lawyers for the General Medical Council (GMC) gave the first public hearing to disciplinary charges against Andrew Wakefield, whose scientific paper published eight years ago caused millions to shun the vaccination for fear that their children might contract autism.

If you wish to get more facts related to the MMR from reliable source, surf over to MMRFacts website. This link is provided by my children’s paediatrician.
I hope, we parents can finally see an end to this unfounded scare. So many parties and so many purported sites have impounded into our minds the fear of autism.

The charges against Wakefield, 50, are some of the most extensive seen. Timothy Dutton QC told Mr Justice Silberman that the GMC, the body that regulates doctors, was considering 10 counts of serious professional misconduct.

They include publishing “inadequately founded” research, obtaining funding “improperly” and subjecting children to “unnecessary and invasive investigations” without proper ethical approval.

Early next year these and other charges will be heard by the GMC’s fitness to practise panel. Empowered to strike Wakefield off the medical register, the hearing is expected to last two months and will be one of the most high-profile adjudications seen.

Wakefield was not in court last week. Having been shunned by colleagues in Britain, he runs a business in Austin, Texas, selling surgical tests for autistic children.

To the parents out there – Always trust your doctors first before believing anything you read on the internet!

Originally posted 2006-06-18 16:13:39.