Re: Unvaccinated “Wakefield cohorts” blamed for 5000 cases of mumps in England last year
Dear Editor
1. I am all for offering vaccination against MEASLES in children, and in those adults who have serological evidence of absence of antibodies. The readers will be aware that naturally acquired measles gives life-long immunity. There are plenty of people arriving in the UK from countries where there is measles and they may well have already had measles.
There is no MEDICAL justification for jabbing them.
2 German measles. Again there is every MEDICAL justification for offering the injection against THIS DISEASE, to girls who are not, serologically, “ RUBELLA IMMUNE”. This will be mostly the case with native Brits who have not stayed abroad . Foreigners and Brits who have stayed in endemic countries ought to be offered antibody tests. Also, I can see no MEDICAL justification for injecting women residing in convents .
3. MUMPS.
Until the government brought in the MMR, no professional body in England encouraged MUMPS vaccination.
Indeed, the British National Formulary, Number 10 ( 1985) stated on page 385, page 385, column 2, states:
Since mumps and its complications are very rarely serious there is little indication for the routine use of mumps vaccine.
I conclude by asking:
Did the Department of Health unthinkingly slid in to promoting vaccination against MUMPS?
I have no reason to believe that there was intellectual dishonesty. After all, the Government officers did not benefit personally and I cannot think that vaccine manufacturers have a powerful lobby.
Rapid Response:
Re: Unvaccinated “Wakefield cohorts” blamed for 5000 cases of mumps in England last year
Dear Editor
1. I am all for offering vaccination against MEASLES in children, and in those adults who have serological evidence of absence of antibodies. The readers will be aware that naturally acquired measles gives life-long immunity. There are plenty of people arriving in the UK from countries where there is measles and they may well have already had measles.
There is no MEDICAL justification for jabbing them.
2 German measles. Again there is every MEDICAL justification for offering the injection against THIS DISEASE, to girls who are not, serologically, “ RUBELLA IMMUNE”. This will be mostly the case with native Brits who have not stayed abroad . Foreigners and Brits who have stayed in endemic countries ought to be offered antibody tests. Also, I can see no MEDICAL justification for injecting women residing in convents .
3. MUMPS.
Until the government brought in the MMR, no professional body in England encouraged MUMPS vaccination.
Indeed, the British National Formulary, Number 10 ( 1985) stated on page 385, page 385, column 2, states:
Since mumps and its complications are very rarely serious there is little indication for the routine use of mumps vaccine.
I conclude by asking:
Did the Department of Health unthinkingly slid in to promoting vaccination against MUMPS?
I have no reason to believe that there was intellectual dishonesty. After all, the Government officers did not benefit personally and I cannot think that vaccine manufacturers have a powerful lobby.
Competing interests: No competing interests