Editor's view

Whether or not the current outbreak of measles in south London counts as an epidemic, it is certain that coverage of the measles, mumps and rubella immunisation controversy is highly contagious, with a rash of stories spreading fast across national newspapers and TV. The symptoms of MMR scares have cropped up regularly over the past years, each time causing parents to lose further confidence in the safety of the combined jab. Now many are calling for three single jabs to be freely available, even though there has been little research to prove that this is a safer option.