London parents shun MMR jab

At least a quarter of London parents are refusing to give their children the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine despite a relentless government campaign over its safety.

The uptake of the combined MMR jab in the capital is only 73.4 per cent compared to a British average of almost 85 per cent, according to the latest figures from the Public Health Laboratory Service.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has come under increasing pressure to reveal whether his 18-month-old son Leo has had the MMR jab. However, he has repeatedly refused to confirm whether he and his wife, Cherie, have followed the government line over the vaccine - citing reasons of family privacy.

The Department of Health has repeatedly claimed that MMR is the safest and most effective way to protect children from the potentially deadly diseases and spent millions of pounds on advertising campaigns trying to persuade parents to agree to the jab.

However, parents in London are continuing to opt for single vaccinations which are being provided at private clinics or leaving their children unprotected.

The poor uptake has prompted fears among public health experts of a re-emergence of the diseases in the capital.

The jab has been linked by some researchers to conditions such as bowel disease and autism, but government advisers have insisted there is no evidence that the combined vaccine poses a health risk.

The World Health Organisation recommends that the uptake of vaccines should be 95 per cent in order to ensure the success of immunisation programmes. The highest uptake of MMR is in Northern Ireland where 89.3 per cent of children have had the first jab by their second birthday and the highest uptake in England is in the North and Yorkshire where 86.3 per cent of toddlers have been vaccinated.

A spokesman for the Public Health Laboratory Service said: "There are several reasons why the take up in London might be lower than the rest of Britain. Apart from people being concerned about its safety, London also has a very mobile population which causes problems getting people vaccinated."

A spokeswoman for the Direct Health 2000 clinic in Eltham which offers parents single versions of the jab said that up to 400 parents a week contacted the centre searching for an alternative.

She added: "In many parts of London the take up is only about 60 per cent. In Lewisham it is 62 per cent, in Bexley it is 65.9 per cent and Bromley it is 69 per cent.

The single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines were phased out by the Government in 1998. Private clinics have to import supplies from abroad as the vaccines no longer have a UK licence.

The Department of Health said: "The advice remains MMR is the safest way to protect your children. We urge parents to get their children vaccinated."