Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Primary Care 10-minute consultation

MMR immunisation

BMJ 2001; 323 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7303.32 (Published 07 July 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;323:32

Rapid Response:

Vaccination is not a 10-minute issue

Editor

Many parents feel that health professionals should provide more balanced information(1) , and it is said that health professionals have a responsibility to provide parents with accurate information on which to base their decision.(2) Also Anthony Harnden and Judy Shakespeare write that the doctor should know the facts about diseases and benefits and risks of immunisation.(3)

With this in mind, it is a worry to see that no mention is made about the increase in for example, asthma, eczema, hayfever, celiac disease, IDDM, Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, autism, mortality and morbidity due to anaphylaxis, hand foot and mouth disease, and dengue fever. The increase in all these diseases coincides with the establishment of vaccination regimes over the past decades.

Again and again, discussions in the medical literature are kept to one isolated vaccine topic and reassurances are given about the safety. Lord Phillip's inquiry into BSE has already pointed out the importance of asking the right questions of a wide range of scientists. But, although the authors(3) advise to listen to parents' concerns about the MMR vaccine, they seem to advocate to resist to act on patients concerns.

To me, articles such as 'MMR immunisation 10-minute consultation', are not reassuring but a worry as it shows ignorance if not complacency. Particularly as more vaccines are going to be added to current regimes, probably resulting in more diseases in the population related to disordered immune regulation.(4)

Second, I am interested to hear whether the two children who died due to measles in Ireland suffered from an underlying disease. Whether a cause could be found that has contributed to their deaths (and is being withheld).

1. Sporton RK, Francis SA. Choosing not to immunize: are parents making informed decisions? Family Practice 2001;18:181-188

2. Bedford H, Elliman D. Concerns about immunisations. BMJ 2000;320:240-243

3. Harnden A, Shakespeare J. MMR immunisation 10 minute consultation. BMJ 2001;323:32

4. Havinga W, Risk of asthma, Correspondence, Lancet 2001;357:313-14

Dr Wouter Havinga, GP, 21 July 2001

Competing interests: No competing interests

21 July 2001
Wouter Havinga
GP
St Luke's Medical Centre, Stroud GL5 4EX, UK