Preventing development of allergic disorders in children

It is disconcerting that Anandan and Sheikh tell professionals to "
Reassure (her) that routine immunisations do not increase the risk of
babies developing allergic disorders and are safe to give to babies with
food allergies, eczema, or asthma ", when, as Clifford Miller has pointed
out, there is clear evidence that allergic reactions are associated with
products put into vaccines.

One example he gives is Thiomersal, and in the CHMP 2006 position
statement which he provides, it is clearly stated that those receiving the
vaccine should be made aware of the risks of allergic reactions to
Thiomersal.

In a reply to an FOI request to the Department of Health I was told
"As advised by the Committee on the Safety
of Medicine, the Department's only concerns about the inclusion of
thiomersal in vaccines were of possible hypersensitivity reactions".
Their reply is available to anyone who would like to read it.

Product inserts list contraindications and warn those who may have a
history of allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis to tell their doctor
before having vaccinations.

Unless I have missed something, parents who take their children for
vaccination are not routinely given the product insert sheet for
contraindications to vaccines or the CHMP position statement when
Thiomersal has been in the vaccines, or indeed any information which may
make them less confident in the vaccine programme.

With the rate of allergies soaring to epidemic proportions and
factual information being kept back from parents about allergic reactions
to vaccines, how confident can we be about the desire to prevent allergic
reactions?

Competing interests:
Specialist in disorders which can be caused by vaccine and are often blamed on parents