Campaigner hails payout over MMR vaccine

Polly Tommey, who believes her son Billy was left autistic after having the combined measles, mumps and rubella jab, said she hoped it would pave the way for other parents to have their cases looked into.

A medical assessment panel awarded the payout to Jackie and John Fletcher from Warrington, Cheshire, after concluding their son was left severely disabled by the MMR vaccine. Robert, now 18, has frequent epileptic fits, is unable to talk, stand unaided or feed himself.

Mrs Tommey, from Hampton, Middlesex, labelled the ruling a "milestone". The mother-of-four, who edits the magazine The Autism File, said: "It is the first time in this country it's been acknowledged that the MMR vaccine is not 100 per cent safe."