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Wealthy 'tending to boycott' MMR jab
Paul Whitehouse PARENTS in Yorkshire's must affluent communities have a substantially worse record for ensuring their children receive MMR immunisation than those in poorer areas with a traditionally bad health record.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) has issued a warning today that parents who fail to protect their children may be storing up serious long-term health consequences.
Department of Health figures for 2004-5 reveal Barnsley has one of the best records in the country for MMR immunisation with 86.9 per cent of children protected by the age of five, yet in most respects has a poor record on health, which has largely been blamed on deprivation.
The pattern is repeated through much of the Yorkshire and the Humber region, with communities in Bradford also among the better performers.
By contrast the wealthier areas appear at the bottom end of the table with the take-up rate in the Craven and Harrogate areas featuring among the country's 10 poorest performers at 52.8 per cent, although that still appears good against some parts of central London where it drops close to single figures.
Leeds North East has a rate of 65 per cent, with just over 70 per cent of children being immunised in south Sheffield. The rate jumps to 75 per cent in parts of Hull and Airedale and more than 78 per cent in some parts of Wakefield, Selby, York, Doncaster and Huddersfield.
Performers close to Barnsley's record include parts of Bradford and Huddersfield.
The CSP blames the apparent contradiction on the controversy over research in 1998 that linked the MMR vaccine to autism.
Although the jab has been declared safe by the Government and the World Health Organisation, former Government medical officer Dr Peter Fletcher has reignited the controversy, warning it could become "one of the greatest scandals in medical history".
He claims there is a mounting body of evidence, accumulated from credible sources including universities and teaching hospitals, that MMR may be linked to a rise in the incidence of autism in some children.
He said data were "steadily accumulating that the live measles virus in MMR can cause brain, gut or immune system damage in a subset of vulnerable children".
But Sarah Bazin, CSP chair of council, said: "Measles, mumps and rubella are highly contagious diseases and can have devastating consequences.
"As an organisation that represents leading healthcare professionals, the CSP is acutely aware of the need to ensure people are able to make informed decisions about their own health and the health of their children. This study demonstrates the absolute necessity of getting healthcare messages correct."
Physiotherapists are worried because the long-term effects of catching measles, mumps or rubella include arthritis, encephalitis – inflammation of the brain – and arthralgia – pain in a joint caused by inflammation, all of which may require long-term therapy and treatment.
The pattern of take-up rates between rich and poor communities is repeated throughout the country, with an average of 73.3 per cent of children being immunised.
The figure for the region is 76 per cent.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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