Scare over MMR vaccine safety causes cases of Mumps to soar
The scare over the safety of the MMR vaccine is still discouraging parents from immunisation, particularly in London, raising the risk of mumps, measles and rubella. Cases of mumps soared from 4,204 in 2003 to 16,436 in 2004 and to 56,390 last year. The exodus has been also been driven by Labour's introduction of bonus payments for doctors who meet immunisation targets leading to even more postcode lotteries.
The MMR vaccine aims to prevent measles, which has a significant complication rate, including pneumonitis and encephalitis, which can kill one in every 1,000 cases. In the case of mumps, more severe in teenagers and adults, a known but relatively rare complication is sterility in males. The major risk of rubella occurs when a pregnant woman is infected, when her baby may suffer significant congenital defects.
Fears about the combined vaccine were triggered in 1998 when Andrew Wakefield published a research paper in The Lancet purporting to show a link between MMR and autism.
The research by a Royal Free Hospital team caused immunisation rates to slump and raised the risk of outbreaks of measles, mumps and rubella, according to the Health Protection Agency.
Immunisation rates fell over the next five years from more than 90 per cent nationally to a low of 78.9 per cent in early 2003. In parts of London rates fell to around 50 per cent.
At the low point of MMR uptake in 2003, a study said measles outbreaks had risen to the point where the disease could re-emerge as endemic in Britain.
Fears of a major epidemic were expressed last night as it emerged that tens of thousands of children are missing out on vaccinations as a result of a postcode lottery created by Labour policies.
New figures have revealed that 60 times more family doctors in the poorest parts of the country have stopped offering vaccinations than those in the leafy suburbs.
The huge difference has been created by new rules introduced by ministers two years ago which allowed GP practices to opt out of providing childhood immunisation services.
The change has led to one in eight practices in the most deprived fifth of the country opting out of vaccinations for children. In contrast, only 0.2 per cent of practices in the most affluent parts have followed suit.
The withdrawal means that parents in many areas can no longer go to their local doctor to get immunisations for diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, meningitis C, measles, mumps and rubella.
In 2004 the Government introduced a new contract for family doctors which formally classed childhood immunisation as an "additional service" - a move Mr Webb argued made it easier for surgeries to opt out.
While the Government stresses that around 94 per cent of all GP practices in England and Wales are still offering immunisation services, Ivan Lewis, the health minister, admitted recently: "The practices opting out are disproportionately likely to be in deprived areas."
The exodus has been driven by Labour's introduction of bonus payments for doctors who meet immunisation targets.
If a GP manages to increase the proportion of children in their area who receive vaccinations from 70 per cent to 90 per cent, their payment will increase from £995 to £2,865. However, vaccination levels in poorer areas are traditionally low as a result of deprivation, ethnic diversity and high levels of mobility. Many family doctors in these areas appear to have decided to opt out of the system because they have little chance of increasing the numbers and earning the bonus.
In contrast, doctors in the most affluent fifth of the country - where vaccination levels are usually much higher - have a much clearer incentive to carry on offering the service to earn the extra payments.
If a GP stops offering the service, the responsibility for childhood immunisation passes to the local primary care trust.
However, Mr Webb said there were serious doubts whether primary care trusts - many of which are facing serious financial problems - could tackle the issue.
The Department of Health said: "The White Paper, Your Health, Your Care, Your Say reaffirmed our commitment to improve immunisation services for all - set against the trends that relate to deprived and disadvantaged groups - and made clear that inadequate immunisation service provision is unacceptable."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/13/nmmr113.xml
Health Direct notes that this is a classic case of Labour Government targets missing the mark and flies in the face of Labour's pledge to tackle health inequalities. There is now a real postcode lottery in immunisation of our children.
And it's the children of the country's poorest families that are disproportionately paying the price with their health and sadly lives for Labour's health failures.
The MMR vaccine aims to prevent measles, which has a significant complication rate, including pneumonitis and encephalitis, which can kill one in every 1,000 cases. In the case of mumps, more severe in teenagers and adults, a known but relatively rare complication is sterility in males. The major risk of rubella occurs when a pregnant woman is infected, when her baby may suffer significant congenital defects.
Fears about the combined vaccine were triggered in 1998 when Andrew Wakefield published a research paper in The Lancet purporting to show a link between MMR and autism.
The research by a Royal Free Hospital team caused immunisation rates to slump and raised the risk of outbreaks of measles, mumps and rubella, according to the Health Protection Agency.
Immunisation rates fell over the next five years from more than 90 per cent nationally to a low of 78.9 per cent in early 2003. In parts of London rates fell to around 50 per cent.
At the low point of MMR uptake in 2003, a study said measles outbreaks had risen to the point where the disease could re-emerge as endemic in Britain.
Fears of a major epidemic were expressed last night as it emerged that tens of thousands of children are missing out on vaccinations as a result of a postcode lottery created by Labour policies.
New figures have revealed that 60 times more family doctors in the poorest parts of the country have stopped offering vaccinations than those in the leafy suburbs.
The huge difference has been created by new rules introduced by ministers two years ago which allowed GP practices to opt out of providing childhood immunisation services.
The change has led to one in eight practices in the most deprived fifth of the country opting out of vaccinations for children. In contrast, only 0.2 per cent of practices in the most affluent parts have followed suit.
The withdrawal means that parents in many areas can no longer go to their local doctor to get immunisations for diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, meningitis C, measles, mumps and rubella.
In 2004 the Government introduced a new contract for family doctors which formally classed childhood immunisation as an "additional service" - a move Mr Webb argued made it easier for surgeries to opt out.
While the Government stresses that around 94 per cent of all GP practices in England and Wales are still offering immunisation services, Ivan Lewis, the health minister, admitted recently: "The practices opting out are disproportionately likely to be in deprived areas."
The exodus has been driven by Labour's introduction of bonus payments for doctors who meet immunisation targets.
If a GP manages to increase the proportion of children in their area who receive vaccinations from 70 per cent to 90 per cent, their payment will increase from £995 to £2,865. However, vaccination levels in poorer areas are traditionally low as a result of deprivation, ethnic diversity and high levels of mobility. Many family doctors in these areas appear to have decided to opt out of the system because they have little chance of increasing the numbers and earning the bonus.
In contrast, doctors in the most affluent fifth of the country - where vaccination levels are usually much higher - have a much clearer incentive to carry on offering the service to earn the extra payments.
If a GP stops offering the service, the responsibility for childhood immunisation passes to the local primary care trust.
However, Mr Webb said there were serious doubts whether primary care trusts - many of which are facing serious financial problems - could tackle the issue.
The Department of Health said: "The White Paper, Your Health, Your Care, Your Say reaffirmed our commitment to improve immunisation services for all - set against the trends that relate to deprived and disadvantaged groups - and made clear that inadequate immunisation service provision is unacceptable."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/13/nmmr113.xml
Health Direct notes that this is a classic case of Labour Government targets missing the mark and flies in the face of Labour's pledge to tackle health inequalities. There is now a real postcode lottery in immunisation of our children.
And it's the children of the country's poorest families that are disproportionately paying the price with their health and sadly lives for Labour's health failures.
posted by Dr Search- Principal Consultant at the Search Clinic at
8:18 AM
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