Take-up of the MMR vaccine has fallen in recent years because of fears that it is linked to a rise in autism and bowel disorders. Immunisation rates in Britain have now fallen to below recommended World Health Organisation levels, prompting concerns about a risk to public health.
The new expert group in Scotland will consider the possible consequences of pursuing an alter- native vaccination policy to MMR and review the evidence about autism, taking in the current work of the Medical Research Council. It will also describe the process of vaccine testing and the monitoring of adverse effects and is expected to produce an initial report within six months.
Scottish health minister Susan Deacon said, 'We need to maintain the confidence of parents if we are to maintain confidence in the MMR vaccine. Studies from around the world have consistently shown that there is no link between the vaccine and conditions such as autism and Crohn's disease. However, we have a duty to parents to continue to look at every avenue possible to give parents the answers to the questions they have raised about MMR.'
She added, 'Nobody wants to see diseases like measles making a comeback in Scotland. Nobody wants to see a single young life lost. We need to work together to ensure this does not happen.'
The group will be chaired by the Rev Graham Forbes, Provost of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh. It has been set up in response to a recommendation made by the Scottish Parliament's Health and Community Care Committee in a report on MMR earlier this year. The committee backed the Government's view that there should be no change to the immunisation programme at this time, but said more should be done to provide better evidence and information to begin to tackle parents' concerns.
